Here’s what I used on myself during braces and for continuing oral care*:
- Electric toothbrush – The basic necessity everyone should have. I haven’t used a manual toothbrush in years ever since I converted to electric.
- Various types of floss and the pros/cons of each:
- Super Floss – I think of these as traditional floss 2.0 and are my favorite types out of all the types of floss available on the market as of this post. I use these every night to floss. The stiff ends make it super convenient to weave in between my permanent lingual retainers.
- Interdental brushes – Or what I like to call ‘Christmas tree flossers’. I don’t use them daily but I keep a box in my bag in case I get food stuck in teeth during dinners or any other social events.
- Floss Threaders – To me, these are the traditional ways of flossing when you have braces or permanent retainers. You take normal floss and use this to thread in-between your teeth. These take a longer time to use and I used to use these until I discovered Super Floss. Since my teeth are now pretty tight, sometimes the threader and floss could not be threaded through. However, I believe since these are still being manufactured, they may serve more purpose if you have a different situation.
- Floss Picks – While I personally don’t use these daily, I have some ready in my bags just in case. Note, these are good for teeth without anything affixed on them and are helpful when reaching the back molars.
- Traditional Floss – I used this brand a lot before I got braces.
- Water flossers – A must while one is undergoing braces. Traditional brushing and flossing won’t cut it when you’ve got so much going on inside and around the teeth! While it will increase the time it takes to proper clean your teeth, it is critical.
- Waterpik – The more well-known brand and likely the “Benz” of all the brands. But since I have a smaller apartment and travel often, I only ever considered portable models. There are countertop models available though.
- Affordable alternative (B.Weiss) – But if you’re just looking for the Corolla version (gets the job done, no frills), this will do just fine.
- Toothpaste (Sensodyne – gentle whitening) – There are a lot of Sensodyne variations you could choose from but I just use gentle whitening because I have tooth sensitivity to manage.
- Retainer cleaning tablets – Once a week, I drop a cleaning tablet and my retainers into a cup and let science do its thing.
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