Swiss premium oral care
Why this guide?
How to take care of your braces
This guide is for you if:
- You want to smile with the confidence of clean teeth and clean braces
- You’re finding it difficult to keep your mouth and your braces clean and healthy…
- … and you want to enjoy the best oral health and an attractive smile now – and after treatment
Introduction
Why braces can be difficult
The challenge of taking care of your braces and your oral health…
Congratulations on making the commitment to orthodontic treatment!
Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying the new confidence of straight teeth.
But with this commitment comes responsibility.
Because the only way to remove the plaque is by using a toothbrush and interdental brushes. But that becomes more difficult for brace wearers –whether that’s fixed braces or removable aligners. That’s because:
- Plaque builds up in the tiny gaps and hard-to-reach spots between the braces and the teeth and
- Tiny bits of food get stuck in braces, brackets and wires
Which, if you don’t know what you’re doing is a worry…
… because plaque is the main cause of tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems.
Caring for your braces and your oral health
Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place.
At Curaprox we have everything you need to give your braces and your oral health the ultimate in tender, loving care.
And many of our products can also be used to look after removable retainers and aligners, like Invisalign.
Simply follow these steps to make your orthodontic treatment as comfortable and pleasant as possible…
… so you can enjoy an attractive, healthy smile – now and after treatment.
Step one
Brush the right way
Use a brush designed for use with braces – and make sure you brush the right way…
Gentle, effective brushing with the right technique…
… using a toothbrush specifically designed for orthodontic patients…
… should be the cornerstone of your oral care.
With Curaprox, you have the option of the manual Curaprox CS 5460 ortho toothbrush and the Curaprox Hydrosonic pro sonic toothbrush.
The Curaprox CS 5460 ortho brush – for teeth and braces
The Curaprox CS 5460 ortho – designed at the request of dentists – features 5,460 ultra-fine, gentle Curen® filaments densely packed on the brush head…
… to effectively remove plaque – without causing any damage.
And with the unique “bracket groove” on the brush head, the filaments are cut slightly shorter in the middle to perfectly wrap around braces and clasps… and clean more effectively.
The octagonal handle, meanwhile, makes it very difficult NOT to brush your teeth at the correct angle…
… which also helps to remove plaque along the gumline
Here’s our ultimate guide to brushing your teeth
How many times a day should you brush your teeth with braces?
Brush twice a day with the right technique:
- Position the Curaprox CS 5460 ortho at an angle of about 45 degrees on the gumline
- Avoid horizontal brushing movements
- Move along your teeth and braces with tiny, gentle circular movements
- Take care to clean the gumline as well
IMPORTANT: The key to effectively removing plaque and enjoying healthy teeth and gums is gentle brushing. Many people brush too hard, which causes problems including damaged tooth enamel, receding gums and exposed tooth roots.
Video brushing teeth with braces
Looking after your braces with the Curaprox Hydrosonic pro
If you prefer electric toothbrushes, the Curaprox Hydrosonic pro gives you that professionally cleaned feeling…
… safely and easily removing plaque from the teeth and gumline – and from wires and brackets…
… using the hydrodynamic effect.
“The brush head swirls around the mixture of saliva, water and toothpaste at high speed, flushing out bacteria and plaque.”
“It destroys the plaque between the teeth and under braces particularly well.”
The Hydrosonic pro gives you perfect cleaning for your teeth, gums and braces with:
- Three innovative brush heads including the “single”, extra small brush head – clean between teeth and braces, brackets or retainers perfectly and effortlessly
- Seven different cleaning levels so you can find your favourite
- Cleaning even in hard-to-reach areas thanks to CURACURVE® – small bend, big difference
Braces care instructions: how to brush with the Hydrosonic pro…
Here’s our video guide to using Curaprox Hydrosonic toothbrushes...
In addition to this:
- Move the Hydrosonic pro from tooth to tooth…
- … first above the bracket for 2-3 seconds…
- … then below the bracket for 2-3 seconds
Braces care tips: use a gentle, effective toothpaste like Curaprox Be you
Brighten up your oral routine with Curaprox Be you toothpaste for:
- Gentle everyday whitening
- Fresh, vibrant, exceptional cleaning with long-lasting freshness
- Six zesty flavours
- Strictly no harmful ingredients – no SLS, no Triclosan, no plastic microbeads
We recommend:
Step two
Use a specialist brush
In addition to Step One, take cleaning those hard-to-reach spots to the next level with a specialist orthodontic toothbrush… with seven tufts of filaments.
Braces, brackets, wires, removable aligners and retainers…
...unfortunately all offer the perfect hiding places for the bacteria that lead to plaque.
Fortunately, the Curaprox CS 708 ortho toothbrush loves to get right in there.
The CS 708, developed by Prof Dr Kirsten Warrer and Prof Dr Hugo Roberto Lewgoy, was originally conceived as a brush for implants patients.
“We later established that the CS 708 could also be very helpful in the field of orthodontics, mainly for the cleaning of fixed lingual orthodontic appliances,” says Dr Lewgoy.
“The CS 708 can reach even particularly hard-to-access areas thanks to its small head as well as the fact that it can be bent as required.”
The CS 708 features:
- A double bend and a flexible grip to give you the perfect angle to reach EVERY spot
- Seven tufts of fine Curen® filaments on the small, compact head that remove plaque easily
How to brush with the CS 708…
- Use daily
- Clean around brackets, braces, retainers and aligners – almost without any pressure
- Bend the grip to achieve the perfect cleaning angle
We recommend:
Step three
Try these interdental brushes
Use interdental brushes designed to properly clean underneath the wires…
To keep your wires clean:
The cone-shaped Curaprox CPS 14 interdental brush cleans ribbon retainers from outside and in…
… as well as the areas between the wires and the teeth.
It’s especially suitable for cleaning the inner wires.
With the Curaprox CPS 18 interdental brush, simply insert under the wires to clean the spaces created by the braces.
Once up. Once down. Done.
Use CPS prime interdental brushes as part of your daily routine
And everyone should use Curaprox CPS prime interdental brushes to gently clean the interdental spaces between their teeth…
… before or after brushing every evening.
Don’t forget, if you have wire retainers fitted behind your teeth… flossing is impossible! Interdental brushes are the ONLY way to clean between the teeth.
Please ask your dentist to find the right sized interdental brushes for you. If they’re too small for the space – the brush won’t do the job. Too big and they won’t fit and could hurt your gums.
We recommend:
Step four
Get some extra help
Our range of handy helpers for people who wear braces, retainers or removable aligners…
Ortho wax
Curaprox Ortho wax is a transparent, orthodontic wax that you can apply to braces and brackets to protect the oral mucosa – the tissue that lines the mouth – from injury. Especially useful for the first few days wearing braces when the mucosa can feel painful.
Plaquefinder tablets
Curaprox PCA 223 Plaquefinder disclosing tablets turn old plaque blue and newly-formed plaque red to reveal where extra brushing is needed.
Ortho pocket set
The Curaprox Ortho Pocket Set includes everything you need for proper interdental care during orthodontic treatment… all in one functional box that you can take anywhere. It includes three interdental brushes – Curaprox CPS 07, 14 and 18 – the long-handled Curaprox UHS 451 interdental brush holder and Curaprox Ortho wax.
PERIO PLUS+ Balance
PERIO PLUS+ BALANCE is a mouthwash that can provide additional protection when proper oral care is more difficult. Ask your dentist before using this product.
Step five
Take extra care of removable braces or retainers
It’s not very pleasant to talk about… but removable plastic braces and aligners – such as Invisalign – can quickly become smelly, dirty and unhealthy if you don’t look after them properly. Keep them fresh and clean by taking them out and brushing them once a day with a harder brush and Curaprox BDC cleaning solutions and gels.
The natural, cleansing properties of citric acid and sea salt – and the protective quality of eucalyptus oil – mean your expensive appliances will also last longer!
Further information
For more information about how to look after your braces and your oral health during treatment ask your orthodontist.
