How do you brush around brackets with an electric toothbrush?

Angle the head toward the gumline above and below the brackets, rest it on each tooth for 1 to 2 seconds, and guide it slowly around each bracket with light pressure.

Can You Use an Electric Toothbrush With Braces?

October 30, 2026

Short answer

Yes. The American Dental Association says people with braces may find a powered toothbrush easier to use, and a 2026 review of studies in people with fixed braces favoured powered brushes for plaque, gum inflammation and bleeding. Oral-B says its round iO head helps clean around brackets, wires and along the gumline.

Is an electric toothbrush better for braces?

The research leans that way. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis in the European Journal of Orthodontics pooled studies of people with fixed braces. Its results favoured powered toothbrushes for plaque, gum inflammation and gum bleeding, and the authors concluded that powered brushes may moderately improve plaque scores.

In the general population, a Cochrane review of 56 trials found electric brushes reduced plaque by 21% and gum inflammation by 11% more than manual brushes after three months. See electric vs manual.

How do you brush around brackets with an Oral-B iO?

Angle the head toward the gumline above the brackets, then below them.
Rest the head on each tooth for 1 to 2 seconds, as Oral-B advises, and let it do the work.
Guide it slowly around each bracket and along the wire.
Finish with the inner and chewing surfaces.

Keep the pressure light. The iO's pressure sensor lights up if you press too hard.

How often should you brush with braces?

The NHS advises brushing with fluoride toothpaste in the morning, at night and after meals while you wear braces. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends two minutes each time. See how long to brush.

How often should you replace your brush head with braces?

At the first sign of wear, or at least every three months, according to the American Association of Orthodontists. Brackets can wear bristles faster than usual, so check them regularly.

Which brush head should you use with braces?

Any Oral-B iO head fits the iO handle. Gentle Care has extra soft bristles if your gums are tender after an adjustment. Note that Oral-B's separate Ortho head does not fit iO handles.

What about cleaning between teeth with braces?

Brushing does not reach under the wire. The American Association of Orthodontists calls flossing crucial to successful orthodontic treatment. Pre-threaded orthodontic flossers slide under the wire without threading, and a water flosser rinses around the brackets.