Braces make teeth harder to clean — and easier to stain. Air polishing reaches around brackets and wires that hand tools struggle with.
Brackets, wires, and bands create dozens of little traps where plaque and stain collect, which is why patients in braces are more prone to gum inflammation and to the chalky white marks that can appear around brackets. At Indian Trail Dental Studio, we use air polishing to clean thoroughly around orthodontic hardware and help keep your teeth healthy and stain-free while you’re in treatment.
Every bracket and wire is a place plaque can hide. Left there, that biofilm can cause gingivitis, staining, and white spot lesions — permanent chalky marks from early decalcification that can show up once the braces come off. Cleaning around all that hardware by hand, or with a Cavitron-type scaler alone, is slow and easy to miss spots.
Instead of trying to work a hand instrument around each bracket, an air polisher flows its spray of air, water, and fine powder over and around the hardware — cleaning the tooth surface around brackets, under wires, and along the gumline in one pass.
Also great for clear aligners: if you have bonded attachments for Invisalign-style aligners, air polishing cleans around those the same way. Ask us during your visit.
Cleaning around brackets and wires can be tedious and uncomfortable, especially if dental visits make you anxious. Air polishing is gentle and quick, reaching the tricky spots without the scraping. Book a visit, and we’ll handle the rest.
No. Because nothing is scraping or catching on the hardware, air polishing is a gentle way to clean around braces without disturbing them.
Removing plaque thoroughly around brackets is exactly how you reduce the risk of white spot lesions. Regular, thorough cleanings during treatment, plus good home care, are your best protection.
Yes. It’s comfortable and thorough, which makes it a great fit for younger patients in orthodontic treatment. We’ll personalize the visit to their needs.
