Getting braces is the first step to getting the smile of your dreams.
Although they can be uncomfortable, it is all worth it in the end when you get them taken off and you are left with a smile that you can’t wait to show off.
In the meantime, however, you have to work out how to keep your teeth as clean as possible, even in between the wires and your teeth.
In this article, we will look at the best toothbrushes to use when you have fixed braces.
OUR TOP PICK
Unsurprisingly, some of the best toothbrushes for cleaning teeth with braces on are electric ones.
They naturally provide superior cleaning to that of a manual toothbrush.
The rotation of the bristles and the small brush head are perfect for getting in between your teeth and behind the wires of your braces.
The Oral-B 1500 claims to remove 500% more plaque than manual toothbrushes and the oscillation of the brush head is great for getting into all of the small crevices between your teeth.
It also features a pressure sensor that lets you know when you are brushing too hard.
This is particularly useful for braces wearers as the excess pressure can cause further discomfort to your teeth and gums.
The small brush head is great for reaching every tooth and behind every wire.
Pros
- Oscillating head
- Pressure sensor
- Small Brush head
Cons
- Replacement heads can be expensive
EDITORS CHOICE
If an electric toothbrush is out of your budget or you prefer manual brushes, the Y-Kelin V-Shaped orthodontic toothbrush could be your best bet.
These manual toothbrushes have V-shaped bristles that help to reach around the wires and cement of the braces.
While they don’t provide the same type of cleaning as an electric toothbrush, they are still incredibly effective at cleaning around your braces.
The bristles are soft to ensure that they don’t cause any discomfort or damage to your teeth or gums.
Pros
- V-shaped bristles
- Soft bristles to protect gums
- Orthodontic design
Cons
- Less effective than electric toothbrushes
BEST VALUE
One of the standout features of this electric toothbrush is the fact that it has three different brush timing settings to help you achieve the best clean possible for your teeth and braces.
It also features an automatic reminder to change the brush heads which really helps you to maintain the device and the standard of cleanliness for your teeth.
A single charge of this brush can last for up to 2 weeks.
People with braces that have reviewed this product have suggested that it is particularly good at cleaning tight teeth and around brackets.
Pros
- Three cleaning modes
- Brush head change reminder
- Long lasting charge
Cons
- Sprays a lot during use
RUNNER UP
This toothbrush is one of the most unique on this list.
Not only is this an electric sonic toothbrush, but it also features a water flossing system that can help clean between your teeth.
This is an extremely useful feature for braces users.
Anyone who has had braces will tell you that flossing around the wires and brackets is incredibly difficult and discourages you from flossing for the duration of your treatment.
This can be detrimental to your oral health, especially considering how much more likely you are to get food stuck in and around your teeth.
The water flossing system simply blasts a thin but highly pressurized water stream between your teeth and through your brackets and wires.
It can also be a great alternative to flossing when your gums are feeling more sensitive, such as after the wires have been tightened.
This means that you don’t have to compromise hygiene for comfort while your treatment progresses.
In addition to the water flossing system, this toothbrush also features a brushing timer that lasts for two minutes to ensure that you are brushing your teeth for the recommended amount of time, and there are three cleaning modes to choose from.
This allows you full control over your dental hygiene at home.
Pros
- Water floss system
- 3 cleaning modes
- Brush and floss simultaneously
- Brushing timer
Cons
- Large base to store
RUNNER UP
The triple bristle original sonic toothbrush is one of the most unique-looking toothbrushes in this article.
It is essentially three brush heads in one. While it might look a bit weird, it has been designed by dentists which gives it more credibility.
The brush has been designed to reduce levels of gum irritation, soreness, and bleeding, all of which can occur during braces treatment.
Aside from the unique brush head, one of the best things about this toothbrush is the fact that the blue bristles will slowly fade to white with use.
When all of the color has gone, it is time to replace the brush head.
Additionally, the handle of the brush has been designed to be easy to grip making it a great choice for anyone who has trouble gripping or with wrist mobility.
Pros
- Unique brush head design
- Head replacement indicator
- Easy grip handle
- Gentle on sensitive or sore gums
Cons
- The head design may take a bit of getting used to
RUNNER UP
The GUM 124 KK orthodontic kit is a great all-around manual cleaning kit that makes a great investment if you or a loved one is about to get their braces fitted.
The kit includes a manual, soft-bristled toothbrush for daily cleaning; three interdental cleaners; easy thread floss; and mint orthodontic wax.
The products in this kit will help you to ensure that common gum and tooth problems, such as plaque build-up and gingivitis, don’t develop during the course of your braces treatment.
The interdental cleaners can be particularly useful for dislodging food particles in between brushing or as an extra step before brushing.
The orthodontic wax is a great addition to this kit that will help improve the comfort of your mouth with your braces.
Pros
- Interdental cleaners
- Soft-bristled brush
- Orthodontic wax
- Easy thread floss
Cons
- The wax is low quality
RUNNER UP
These double-ended orthodontic toothbrushes are the best of both worlds on one handy handle.
On one end is a regular manual toothbrush head that can be used for general cleaning twice a day.
On the other end of the handle is a small orthodontic brush head that is perfect for cleaning in between tightly packed teeth and behind wires.
This brush is a great option if you travel often and don’t want to have to carry different brushes with you.
It also makes it easier to ensure that you are replacing your interdental brushes as often as you change your main toothbrush.
The bristles on both of the brush heads are made of a super soft synthetic material that will protect your gums and avoid causing further discomfort or harm to them.
Pros
- Double-ended design
- Super soft bristles
- Interdental brush head
Cons
- No replacement guide
RUNNER UP
This electric toothbrush has been designed specifically to gently but effectively clean around all kinds of orthodontic appliances, including fixed braces.
It has also been approved by the American Dental Association.
There are five levels of cleaning power that you can choose from with this toothbrush to tailor your daily brushing to your needs.
You can select a sensitive mode for times when your teeth are more sensitive, such as after your braces have been tightened.
You can also select a more intense mode for times when there are lots of food particles behind your wires and around your brackets.
The brush comes with four brush heads to provide you with a year's worth of heads if you replace them every three months.
This brush can hold power for up to a month on a single, full charge.
Pros
- Multiple replacement heads
- 5 different cleaning modes
- ADA approved
- Long charge
Cons
- Some units can have faulty batteries
Buyer’s Guide
Although buying a toothbrush might seem like a simple task, there are many factors that it is important to consider when comparing different products.
These factors increase when you are trying to purchase a toothbrush for a braces user.
We have put together this helpful buyer’s guide to help you make the best decision to meet your needs.
Manual Or Electric
As with many of these factors, it ultimately comes down to personal choice, however, there are some important things to consider when choosing between the two.
It is well known that electric toothbrushes provide a superior clean to manual toothbrushes because of the number of times they can rotate or vibrate in a second.
An electric toothbrush will always be able to perform more strokes on our teeth than a manual toothbrush can.
More isn’t always better though, sometimes, the speed of rotation or vibration can irritate the user's gums.
This can be a more common occurrence when the user is undergoing braces treatment and their gums are likely to be more sensitive than usual.
On the flip side, no matter how soft the bristles are on a manual toothbrush, there is nothing to stop or deter you from pressing too hard while you are brushing.
This is a feature that is common on most electric toothbrushes.
The brush will either cut out until the pressure is lessened, or there will be a light that glows when the pressure is too high.
This can be very useful for protecting your teeth and gums from damage that is caused by applying too much pressure to your gums.
If you are someone who is likely to press too hard when you brush, an electric toothbrush is likely to be the best option for you.
Interdental Brush Heads
It is important to note that interdental brush heads are not a replacement for regular brush heads, rather they should be used to supplement regular brushing.
Interdental brush heads are designed to get in between your teeth and can be incredibly useful if you have overcrowding issues with your teeth or if you have braces.
The coned or pointed shape of the bristles is great for cleaning behind the wires of fixed braces and the brackets that fix them to your teeth.
They can also be great for cleaning between your teeth if flossing is too difficult or painful with your braces on.
Another style of the interdental brush head is the thin spiral design.
These types of interdental brushes are excellent for getting fully in between your teeth for a deep clean of your mouth.
They are also great for dislodging difficult particles of food from brackets.
This design is often made from plastic, silicone, or synthetic bristles that may be too rough for more sensitive teeth and gums
Bristle Texture
The texture of the bristles is a very important factor to consider when you are purchasing a toothbrush, even more so when you have braces on your teeth.
Even if you have never had sensitive gums before, the trauma of forcibly moving your teeth to realign them can cause your gums to become more sensitive and even prone to bleeding on occasion.
It is important to take into account whether the bristles on a brush are going to cause more discomfort or even damage to your gums.
Brushing too hard can cause gums to begin to recede, but so can bristles that are too harsh.
If you are not used to using toothbrushes with soft bristles, it can be hard to imagine that a brush head with them will be able to clean your teeth as effectively as firmer bristles.
However, they can be just as effective while protecting your mouth from damage and pain.
They also help to protect your braces a bit more than harder bristles will.
You can purchase soft bristle brush heads for electric toothbrushes as well as in manual forms.
Regular Replacements
It is important to make sure that you are replacing your toothbrush or the brush heads from your electric toothbrush on a regular basis.
This is not just because of the germs that can build up on your toothbrush, but also because the bristles begin to break down as they are used over time.
When this happens, the toothbrush becomes less effective and bristles can even begin to fall out during use.
If you are confident that you replace your toothbrush regularly enough, then a manual toothbrush or an electric brush head that does not have a replacement indicator will be perfectly fine to use.
However, if you are someone who struggles to remember to replace your toothbrush or uses toothbrushes until they have only a few bristles left, it may be wise to invest in a brush that has a replacement indication included.
This can be in the form of colored bristles that fade over time and should be replaced when they are totally white, or some electric toothbrushes have light indicators on them that let you know when you should replace the head.
Handles
No matter how advanced a toothbrush is, it is only as useful as the user allows it to be.
The size and shape of the handle are important in ensuring that your teeth benefit from a proper clean twice a day.
If a handle is too big or too slick for you to comfortably hold, the toothbrush can become less useful.
If the handle is the wrong size or design you will be unable to grip it properly and keep slipping with it or even dropping it if you have grip issues.
On the other hand, if you are having to increase your grip on the handle to maintain proper control of the brush you may also end up increasing the pressure that you are using which can damage your teeth.
It is important to make sure that the handle will fit in your hand comfortably and that it features an additional grip to assist in the maneuvering of the brush.
Additional grips can come in either textured panels on electric toothbrushes or in shape changes and molded texture on the shaft.
Final Thoughts
There are many toothbrushes that are available on the market at the moment.
Lots of those brushes will be useful in helping to keep your mouth and teeth clean while you have braces on.
However, the brushes that have been mentioned in this article are some of the best products for cleaning around fixed braces and providing adequate dental hygiene for your mouth for the duration of your treatment.
He has combined both of these skills to create his first company, Isopharm Limited, which became one of the top learning platforms within the dental industry.
With over 120,000 active users, he has been able to educate others in order to provide better dental care around the world.
With his expertise and work in the field, Andrew has been able to help many dental care professionals succeed in treating their patients.
- Does Sensodyne Have Fluoride? - October 8, 2022
- How White Should Teeth Be? - September 29, 2022
- Do You Have To Wear A Retainer After Invisalign? - September 29, 2022
