Let’s be honest. For kids, brushing and flossing is most likely not on their list of top 5 things they love to do. So what can parents do to encourage good oral care habits during orthodontic treatment?
Dr. Sharma, Dr. Lin, and Dr. Koo, suggest introducing fun oral hygiene products that make caring for teeth more enjoyable. Here, five options to try out.
1. Cocofloss Dental Floss & Threaders
We say it time and time again at Aura Orthodontics: flossing is crucial when it comes to maintaining the best possible oral health during braces treatment. But because it can take a little time and patience to master when you have orthodontics, flossing with braces is understandably not a kid’s favourite activity.
That’s where CocoFloss comes in. First, this innovative dental floss comes in yummy flavours like summer watermelon, confetti cake, and cara cara orange to name a few. Plus, it’s got an overall cool design and look. But the best thing? The floss itself is a textured, loofah-like weave of 500+ filaments that expand upon use and scrub away more plaque than traditional, flat dental floss. So if your kids aren’t the most thorough flossers, at least they’re cleaning away more plaque per session than what’s typical.
Braces-wearers also might be inspired to floss more with Cocofloss’ floss threaders. This extra fluffy floss threader makes flossing with braces easy, fun, and efficient.
Ask your Aura orthodontist about this contender for the best floss for braces wearers, or pick up a few flavours at Indigo bookstores or Sunja Link Body Shoppe in Vancouver.
2. Oral-B Genius X AI Toothbrush
AI (artificial intelligence) is the new, technological frontier and oral care hasn’t been left behind: a few AI electric toothbrushes exist for you to choose from. So if your kids love technology, they might become a little obsessed with one of the most technologically advanced oral care products out there: the Oral-B Genius X electric toothbrush.
This techie toothbrush is on the list for the best toothbrush for braces. It has responsive features, like pressure sensitivity that shows you if you’re brushing too hard, a motion sensor that tracks your movements and gives real-time guidance with AI, and app connectivity that shows your brushing history and patterns so you can improve.
3. Tricklet Water Flosser
Water flossers spray a blast of water that removes sugars, food debris, and plaque from between the teeth, along the gumline, and around brackets and wires. One study found that participants who used a water flosser experienced an almost 75% reduction in overall plaque versus those who used dental floss.
The Tricklet water flosser is a portable yet strong wireless water flosser that you can take anywhere. It has four spray levels and four nozzles, including one specifically designed for cleaning with braces.
4. Hismile Toothpaste
Hismile toothpaste entices with out-of-the-box flavours you don’t normally find in typical drugstore toothpaste. This fluoride toothpaste comes in flavours like Watermelon, Mango Sorbet, Peach Iced Tea, Coconut Whip, and Red Velvet to make brushing with braces a delightful treat.
5. Listerine® Ultraclean Enamel Protection Zero Mouthwash
In another post, your certified specialists in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics in Langley/Surrey shared a guide to mouthwash during orthodontic treatment. One of our suggestions for the best mouthwash for braces was Listerine Ultraclean, an alcohol-free, fluoride mouthwash that fights cavities and strengthens enamel. Bonus? Listerine Ultraclean’s oral health benefits have been validated by the Canadian Dental Association. This particular mouthwash has a less intense taste which might be more fun for younger patients.
Personalized Patient Care From Your Orthodontist in Langley and Surrey
There you have it — a few recommendations for oral hygiene products that will make at-home oral care more fun. Now that you know brushing and flossing can be enjoyable during orthodontic treatment, contact us if you haven’t started with treatment yet. At Aura Orthodontics, our patient-first approach means getting a straight smile is a great experience every step of the way.
