Are you dreading flossing with your new braces? All those brackets, rubber bands, and your archwire can be frustrating to maneuver around. But don’t lose hope! If you want to achieve your dream smile, it’s important to commit to a good oral hygiene routine!
Why is flossing important?
Flossing is absolutely essential—with or without braces. No matter the type of orthodontic treatment you choose (Invisalign® or braces) or if you don’t undergo treatment at all, you still need to make flossing a part of your daily oral hygiene routine.
As the ADA (American Dental Association) says, “Cleaning between teeth removes plaque that can lead to cavities or gum disease from the areas where a toothbrush can’t reach.”
Your toothbrush brushes the surfaces of your teeth, but think of all the spaces between your teeth, where food particles get stuck and bacteria starts to build up over time.
Not flossing with braces will leave food particles stuck between your teeth and under your gums leading to plaque build-up, gum disease, and cavities.
Here’s 2 tips on how to make flossing with braces quick and simple!
Tip #1: Use Orthodontic Floss Threaders When Flossing
The most frustrating part of flossing with braces is threading floss through your braces archwire. That’s where an orthodontic floss threader comes in handy! These thin loops of plastic make it easy to guide your floss around orthodontic devices to get all those difficult to reach areas. After your braces are placed, our orthodontists can recommend appropriate floss threaders for you, like Gum® Eez-Thru® Floss Threaders.
Here’s how to use floss threader:
- Cut about 18 inches of waxed floss and thread it into the loop portion of your threader
- Tie floss around the threader loop
- Using the pointed end of the needle, gently guide the threader under your archwire and wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer finger.
- Form the letter ‘C’ with your floss, hugging to the side of one tooth.
- Gently move floss back and forth, slowly rising up to tuck under the curve of your gum and back down.
- Repeat on the next tooth, taking care not to use the same section of floss
- Gently pull floss from wire your archwire to move onto the next section of your braces
- Continue until the sides of all your teeth have been cleaned!
Tip#2: Use a WaterPik to Floss
Waterpik® is an ADA-accepted brand of oral irrigators or water flossers. It’s easily the most popular tool to use when flossing with braces! Waterpiks use a stream of pulsating water to remove food particles and plaque from your teeth and gums; so there’s no need to worry about maneuvering floss through or around your brackets and archwire!
Let’s check out the steps on how to floss with braces using a Waterpik:
- Fill reservoir with warm water then return reservoir to base.
- Select a flosser tip and click into the handle (For first use, set the pressure control dial to high. Point the tip into the sink and turn on until water flows. Turn unit off.)
- Beginning with the lowest pressure setting, lean over the sink and place flosser in your mouth.
- Turn your water-flosser on. *You can close your lips slightly to prevent splashing (letting water flow from your mouth into sink)*
- Gently guide the flosser tip along your gum line to the space between your teeth.
- Be sure to use your Waterpik on both sides of your teeth—front and back!
- When finished, turn your water-flosser off and use the tip eject button to remove the tip.
- Make sure to drain the reservoir after every use.
Flossing with braces may seem like a lot of work at first! But as you continue to floss every day, you’ll become a pro at flossing with braces in no time.
Protect Your Smile-in-Progress with these Flossing Tips!
Taking care of your teeth is how you experience the best possible results from your orthodontic treatment. When you take care of your teeth, they take care of you! Your diligence in keeping your teeth clean will reward you with a healthy, radiant smile.
We’re all about patient education, because we believe the best results are achieved when you’re properly informed! We’ll always take the time to explain everything to you so you leave our office feeling confident and comfortable with your treatment.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions! If you’re looking for a second opinion or searching for a top orthodontist, come meet us! Request your complimentary exam with us in Lake Mary or Longwood today.
