flossing with braces

How to Make Flossing with Braces Much Easier

Getting a popcorn kernel stuck in your teeth can be the most annoying part of the day for someone with braces. But flossing with braces would have to come as a close second.

Your oral hygiene is more important than ever with braces. With such an investment in your smile, it would be a real shame to compromise those results because you neglected your teeth and gums.

Good dental hygiene is very important. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to make the process a little bit easier. Keep reading to find out more.

Ordinary Floss Will Do

Ordinary dental floss is a perfectly effective thing to use, but you will want to make sure that you used the waxed kind. In addition, your floss should be as thin as possible in order to get in between the tight spaces between your brackets.

You will want to remove a segment that is about twelve to eighteen inches long. Then you will thread one of the ends of the floss behind the main wire of your braces.

Next, you will continue threading in this manner until you have equal sections of floss below and above the wire. Using two hands you will wiggle the floss between your teeth before threading it through the gaps between the next teeth.

A Note on Floss Threaders

In a way, a floss threader resembles a needle. The eye holds the floss so that it can be more easily pulled through the gaps in your braces. This can save you a lot of time on the flossing process.

Waterpik Benefits

Although it should never be considered an alternative to flossing, a Waterpik can certainly compliment your dental routine. These pieces of equipment shoot a thin stream of cold water at a very high pressure into the gaps between your teeth.

Since you will not have to spend time navigating around the wires in your braces, you can reach some places that otherwise would be left uncleaned.

Other Methods for Flossing With Braces

In addition to the methods previously mentioned, there are a few more options:

  • Proxy Brush – Many orthodontists will give these out to patients at the beginning of their treatment plan. They are tiny brushes that are small enough that they are able to reach behind the wires of your braces. However, again, this should not be used as an alternative to flossing.
  • Orthodontic Brush – Similar to the look of a toothbrush, this too has V-shaped bristles. They are the tool of choice for professional orthodontists. They also are not an alternative to flossing, but rather an addition to enhance the effectiveness of your actions.
  • Dental Tape – For some, gun sensitivity can make flossing with braces very uncomfortable. As an alternative, you can use a thin smooth tape called dental tape, in the same way as you would otherwise use ordinary floss.

More Advice on Oral Care

If you would like to know more about how to properly take care of your teeth, contact us today. With the right care, you will love the way your smile looks.

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