Food and orthodontia: Top tools for getting the gunk out

Well, with the visit to the orthodontist last month, we now have two of us in full metal mode. Keeping those suckers clean and free of food debris has been a trial, but a couple things have really helped.

Here are my top 4 products for folks with braces:

Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser

This water flosser is ideal for getting all the crud out between the brackets. I use it twice a day (sometimes three times on Sunday!) before I brush. This is the tool I miss the most when we travel, as it is not portable. There are a couple different models, I like the Ultra Flosser best because of the range of tips included in the base model.

Waterpik Power Flosser

This is a new tool in my arsenal, and at $6.99 a pop, a true bargain. Helps with the flossing between teeth, which you still need to do, even with the water flosser above. The only thing I don’t love is that I cannot dial down the vibration, as I can with my electric toothbrush.

Oral-B Electric Toothbrush

I have had this toothbrush for a couple years, and had sort of stopped using it before braces, but have since decided the combination of the water flosser and electric toothbrush does a great job cleaning all the bits in my mouth. My version only has 2 speeds, but I see the newer models have 3. Makes the experience much more comfortable and personalized.

Glide Threader Floss

Should have bought this stuff in bulk when the braces went on. I keep a pack in my purse and have absolutely no shame about flossing in public anymore. These take a bit getting used too, as you have to thread the floss through the wires and brackets and it can be tricky. My kids are probably not going to use this (hence the Power Flosser above) but I cannot live without it.

Note: I am not being paid or compensated by any of these companies. If you follow the links and purchase the items at Amazon, I will receive an associates fee. However, I recommend shopping around for the best price on any of these items. CostCo is great for small appliances and I have seen both the Waterpik Water Flosser and Oral-B Electric Toothbrushes in stock. Also, I love Soap.com for many of my drugstore purchases and they carry the Glide Threader Floss. 

Photos courtesy of Amazon.