First, rinse with warm water a couple of times to dislodge any food particles. You can also use a rubber-tipped gum massager to dislodge any particularly stubborn particles that are badly stuck in your brackets. Now you can use a small amount of toothpaste and brush your teeth. It is best to use circular, vibrating motions around the gum line. Angle your toothbrush above and below the brackets. Scrub each surface of every tooth with 10 strokes of the toothbrush.

Patients should brush their teeth at least four times each day: after each meal and before going to bed. We will show each patient how to floss their teeth with braces, and will also provide a prescription for a special fluoride.

Wearing braces means you must care for your teeth better than ever before. Due to their design, braces trap food particles on your teeth where plaque can start building. Cleaning those small, tight areas under and around your braces means brushing and flossing carefully after every meal. Afterwards, carefully check your braces and teeth in a mirror to make sure they are clean.

You should brush your teeth at least 2-3 minutes twice a day. Brush your teeth for the length of a song on the radio, the right amount of time to get the best results from brushing. Unfortunately, most Americans only brush for 45-70 seconds twice a day.

The American Dental Association advocates brushing twice each day. Although there is research indicating that brushing once a day is sufficient to disrupt the formation of plaque that feeds the bacteria that cause decay, this may not be enough for some people, depending on factors such as their diets and the efficacy of their brushing technique.

Brushing children's teeth at least twice a day is very important because it establishes good oral hygiene at an early age as well as helping to prevent cavities. This easy step by step method will have your child on the right track to a good oral health regime in no time.

According to a recent ArchWired.com poll, most people begin see changes in their teeth in the first 2 to 6 weeks of treatment.

Braces use steady, gentle pressure over time to move teeth into their proper positions. They don't look like they're doing much just sitting there. but in fact, every moment or your orthodontic treatment, there's something happening in your mouth. Something good for you. The brackets we place on your teeth and the main archwire that connects them, are the two main components.The bracket is a piece of specially shaped metal or ceramic that we affix to each tooth.

It's a little tricky at first. You must thread the floss under the arch wire between each tooth, floss under the gumline, then remove it. Repeat for each tooth. At first it will take about 15 minutes to floss all of your teeth, but with practice you will get faster and more efficient at doing it. It is important to floss EVERY NIGHT. Even if you use a Waterpik device, you should still floss.

Toothbrush bristles tend to wear down quicker when they come into contact with orthodontic braces as they tend to break down and fracture bristles. However, toothbrushes such as the Gum® Orthodontic Brush are specifically designed to facilitate cleaning around orthodontic braces. Instead of a raised centre, they have shorter centre bristles that form a "V" shape, which allows for normal cleaning around the braces.