1. Clean your braces after every meal and snack. To protect your teeth, you should wait at least one hour after eating to brush your teeth. And to help you even more, see our article about brushing your teeth with braces.
2. Floss every day. Floss every night before you go to bed. Using a floss threader will make this process easier with braces. It will allow you to get under the wires more easily.
3. Use an interdental toothbrush to clean your teeth and braces. Look for an interdental toothbrush, which means it clean between the teeth. You can use it to clean underneath and around your wires and braces. But you want to make sure you are using it gently to avoid damaging your wires.
4. Use a mouthwash or rinse. Peroxyl, a hydrogen peroxide antiseptic mouth rinse will reduce inflammation in your gums and cheeks and help your mouth heal. It also helps to prevent infection and decreases any irritation, like canker sores, cheek bites, and other minor temporary injuries. Here’s how it works: Rinse your mouth with two teaspoons of Peroxyl (half a capful) for one minute and then spit it out. You may use Peroxyl up to four times daily after brushing.
5. Use fluoride on your teeth daily.