How to Clean Braces: Complete UK Guide
Oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment requires more effort than normal — brackets and wires create surfaces where plaque accumulates that a standard brushing routine cannot reach. Poor cleaning during brace treatment can cause permanent white spot lesions, decay, and gum disease that outlast the treatment itself. This guide explains exactly what to do, with which tools, and how often.
Step-by-step: how to brush teeth with braces
Remove elastics before brushing
Any elastic bands or removable components (e.g. Invisalign attachments, auxiliary springs) should be removed before brushing. Leaving elastics in traps food and makes it impossible to clean the bracket area properly.
Rinse with water first
A quick rinse before brushing dislodges loose food particles, making brushing more effective. This is especially useful after meals when you can't brush immediately.
Use a soft-bristle brush at a 45-degree angle to the gumline
Position the brush at 45 degrees pointing toward the gum. Using small circular motions, clean the gum margin first — this is where gingivitis starts. Spend 10 seconds per tooth. An electric oscillating brush (e.g. Oral-B) is significantly more effective than a manual brush for brace patients.
Brush above the archwire, then below
Tilt the brush downward (for upper teeth) to clean the area between the top of the bracket and the gum. Then tilt upward to clean the area below the bracket toward the biting surface. The wire creates a 'shadow' zone that is easy to miss.
Use an interdental brush to clean around each bracket
An interdental brush (TePe, GUM, or similar) should be threaded under the archwire and swept around each bracket in a circular motion. This removes plaque from the bracket wings and archwire that a standard brush cannot reach. Use size 0.4–0.6 mm for most adult patients — your orthodontist can advise on the right size.
Floss once daily
Thread floss under the archwire using a floss threader, Superfloss, or orthodontic picks. Clean down the sides of each pair of adjacent teeth, going gently below the gum line. This prevents proximal (between-teeth) decay that brushing cannot address.
Use fluoride mouthwash
Use a 0.05% sodium fluoride mouthwash (e.g. Colgate Fluorigard, ACT) once daily — ideally at a different time to brushing, such as after lunch. Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after. This provides additional fluoride protection to the enamel around brackets.
How to floss with braces
Flossing with a fixed archwire requires threading floss under the wire for each gap. This is time-consuming but essential for preventing decay and gum disease between teeth.
Option 1: Traditional floss with a floss threader
Thread a piece of floss through the eye of a floss threader
Pass the threader under the archwire between two brackets
Use the floss to clean up and down the sides of both adjacent teeth, going just below the gum line
Remove and repeat for each gap — 14 gaps in a full arch
Option 2: Orthodontic floss picks (Superfloss)
Superfloss (e.g. Oral-B Superfloss) has a stiffened end for threading under the wire, a spongy middle for cleaning around brackets, and regular floss for the contact point. Easier to use than a floss threader, especially for children.
Option 3: Water flosser (oral irrigator)
A water flosser uses a pulsating jet of water to dislodge debris from around brackets and under the archwire. Brands like Waterpik offer orthodontic-specific tips. Water flossers do not replace interdental cleaning but are an excellent supplement — particularly for children who find traditional flossing difficult. Use on a low-medium setting and direct the jet at the gum line around each bracket.
Essential tools for cleaning braces
| Tool | What it does | Use frequency | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric toothbrush (oscillating) | Cleans bracket margins and gum line more effectively than manual | After every meal | £20–£100 (heads ~£5–£15 each) |
| Interdental brush (TePe / GUM) | Cleans around brackets and under archwire | After every meal | £3–£6 for 8-pack |
| Floss threader or Superfloss | Enables flossing under archwire | Once daily | £3–£6 |
| Water flosser (e.g. Waterpik) | Flushes debris from around brackets and wires | Once daily | £30–£80 |
| Fluoride mouthwash (0.05% NaF) | Remineralises enamel, prevents white spots | Once daily | £3–£5 |
| Proxy brush / bottle brush | Cleans under wider spaces in the wire | As needed | £2–£4 |
| Orthodontic wax | Protects soft tissue from wire or bracket irritation | As needed | £2–£4 |
White spots after braces: what are they and how to prevent them
White spot lesions (WSLs) are areas of enamel demineralisation — early decay — that appear as chalky white marks on the tooth surface, typically around the bracket edges. They are one of the most common complications of orthodontic treatment and are almost entirely caused by inadequate oral hygiene during treatment.
White spots are permanent — they do not go away when braces are removed. Prevention is the only reliable approach:
Use high-fluoride toothpaste (1450 ppm fluoride) — standard adult toothpaste is 1450 ppm. Do not use children's low-fluoride toothpaste for patients with braces.
Use a fluoride mouthwash daily — use at a different time to brushing (e.g. after lunch) to extend fluoride contact time.
Reduce sugar intake — particularly between-meal sugary snacks and drinks.
Clean around every bracket after every meal — plaque at the bracket margins is the direct cause of WSLs.
Attend dental hygienist appointments during treatment — professional cleaning during brace treatment removes calculus and reinforces technique.
How to clean clear aligners
Clear aligners require their own cleaning routine. Neglected aligners become discoloured, smelly, and harbour bacteria that sit against your teeth for 20+ hours a day.
Rinse every time you remove them. Run cold water over the aligner immediately — before saliva dries into a film.
Clean with a soft toothbrush and clear soap or aligner cleaner. Do not use toothpaste — it is abrasive and scratches the plastic, making aligners opaque and harder to clean.
Use Invisalign cleaning crystals or retainer cleaning tablets weekly. Soak for 15–30 minutes to remove stubborn staining and kill bacteria.
Never eat or drink (except water) with aligners in. Food and coloured drinks stain aligners quickly and trap sugars against the teeth.
Brush and floss teeth before re-inserting aligners. Trapping food particles under an aligner for hours is a direct route to decay.
Frequently asked questions
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