How to take care of braces

Page updated October 14, 2026. Medically reviewed by Dr. Abraham Thomas and Dr. Jennifer Loucks-Buren.

Taking care of braces comes down to three habits: brush after meals, clean between your teeth every day, and avoid foods that break brackets. Brackets and wires create extra places for plaque and food to collect (AAO), so the routine takes longer than before. Here's how to do it, which tools help, and what to watch for.

The daily routine

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste (Cleveland Clinic). Fluoride strengthens enamel, and your dentist or orthodontist may suggest extra fluoride or remineralizing products (AAO).

How to brush with braces

1. Rinse with water to loosen food caught in the brackets.
2. Angle the brush toward the gumline and brush along it, tooth by tooth (AAO).
3. Brush around each bracket: above it, below it and on both sides (AAO).
4. Use a small interproximal brush to clean under the wire and between brackets (AAO) (Healthline).
5. Spend extra time on the upper front teeth, as the AAO advises for preventing white spots (AAO).
6. Brush the chewing surfaces and the backs of the teeth as usual, then look in a mirror for food you missed.

Healthline says electric toothbrushes clean better than manual ones (Healthline), and the AAO lists them among helpful tools (AAO). Skip whitening toothpaste while you have braces: it can't reach under the brackets, so only the exposed parts of your teeth would be whitened, which can leave uneven patches when the braces come off (Healthline).

How to floss with braces

Flossing matters more with braces, because food left between teeth and brackets is a recipe for cavities (AAO). There are several ways to do it (Healthline):

With regular floss (Healthline):

1. Cut 18 to 24 inches of waxed floss.
2. Thread it between the main wire and your teeth (a threader makes this easier), and wrap the ends around your index fingers.
3. Press it gently between two teeth and slide it up and down the sides of both. On top teeth, make an upside-down U shape to reach the gumline.
4. Pull the floss out gently. Tugging it out from behind the wire can knock the wire out of a bracket.
5. Rethread and move to the next pair of teeth.

Gums may bleed and feel swollen when you start, but Healthline says they typically become healthier over time (Healthline). Don't skip a spot because it bleeds (AAO).

A braces care kit

Keep these at home, and a smaller set in your bag for meals out. The AAO suggests packing a toothbrush, interproximal brush, floss, toothpaste, spare elastics and orthodontic wax (AAO).

• Soft-bristled or electric toothbrush, and fluoride toothpaste
• Interproximal (interdental) brushes
• Waxed floss with threaders, or orthodontic flossers
• A water flosser with an orthodontic tip, if you like one
• Alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash
• Orthodontic wax for brackets or wires that rub; see how to use orthodontic wax
• A pocket mirror

The first week with new braces

Teeth are usually most tender in the first 24 to 48 hours after braces go on or are adjusted (AAO). For the first few days, stick to soft foods such as pasta, cooked vegetables, yogurt, soup and oatmeal (Cleveland Clinic). Cover any bracket or wire that rubs your cheek with orthodontic wax (Cleveland Clinic). Keep up the full cleaning routine even while your mouth is sore, using a gentle touch. See do braces hurt for pain relief.

Food and drinks

Avoid hard and sticky foods that could break brackets, and skip or limit sugary drinks such as soda and sports drinks (AAO). Frequent sipping of sugary or acidic drinks is one of the main causes of white spots, so choose water most of the time (AAO). Cut fruit and vegetables into smaller pieces (AAO). For full lists of foods to avoid and safe foods, see what you can eat with braces.

Swollen or bleeding gums

Some puffiness is common, usually because plaque collects around brackets and irritates the gums, leading to gingivitis. Wires and brackets can also rub, and hormones, medications, tobacco and dry mouth play a part (AAO). What to do (AAO):

• Keep cleaning the area gently, along the gumline and around brackets
• Floss daily with a threader or orthodontic flosser; add an interdental brush or water flosser if they help
• Use orthodontic wax where a bracket rubs
• Contact your orthodontist or dentist if swelling or bleeding doesn't improve, gets worse, or gum tissue grows over brackets
• Get prompt care for pus, fast-growing swelling, significant pain or fever

Preventing white spots

White spots are patches of enamel that have lost minerals. They look chalky or cloudy and can be an early sign of cavity risk. The AAO says braces don't cause them directly; plaque and acid trapped around brackets do, along with frequent sugary or acidic drinks (AAO). Prevention is the routine above: brush at least twice a day and before bed, clean between teeth daily, use fluoride as advised, and keep up dental cleanings. If spots appear, get a dental check; some early spots improve as enamel strengthens, while deeper ones are harder to reverse (AAO).

Keep seeing your dentist

Orthodontic visits don't replace routine dental care (AAO). The AAO lists visiting your general dentist every 3 to 6 months as part of a patient's job during treatment (AAO). Healthline suggests a professional cleaning about every 3 months to clean around the hardware (Healthline). Ask whether your dental plan covers extra cleanings during treatment.

Looking after the braces themselves

• Wear elastics and other appliances exactly as prescribed, and call if you run low on elastics (AAO)
• Call your orthodontist as soon as something is broken or loose: the sooner it's fixed, the less likely it adds time to treatment (AAO)
• Cover a sharp wire or rough bracket with wax until you can be seen (Cleveland Clinic)
• Never skip adjustment appointments (AAO)

Ask at the start whether repairs and replacement brackets are included in your fee. See do braces hurt for soreness after adjustments.

If you have clear aligners

Aligners come out for meals, which makes brushing and flossing simpler, but they have rules of their own. Take them out before eating or drinking anything except water, and clean your teeth before putting them back in (AAO). Wearing aligners for long stretches without cleaning, or sipping sugary drinks with them in, traps acid against the teeth (AAO). Clean the aligners daily (Cleveland Clinic). After treatment, the same care applies to your retainer; see how to clean a retainer.