You’ve probably been to the dentist before and know how important it is to floss daily. It’s easy to forget flossing when you have braces. However, flossing with braces can be harder and more time-consuming than flossing sans braces.
If you want your teeth to be straight after your treatment, it is important to continue flossing daily. You can tackle the problem head-on by learning how to floss with braces.
Select Your Floss
There are many kinds of dental floss. When you have braces, it is best to use thin, wax-coated floss. Unwaxed floss is more thready and can get caught in braces. A floss threader is a small tool that can be used to help you thread floss around your wires.
How to Floss with Braces
- To get rid of food particles, rinse your mouth.
- Brush your teeth for two minutes and then clean each bracket.
- You can floss the areas of your teeth that you have easy access to. This does not mean you need to wrap floss around wires. Use a saw to remove any loose floss from between your teeth.
- To floss the bottom of each tooth, place the floss string under the main wire. This can be done more easily with a floss threader.
- Bring the floss to the base of your gum line by pulling it between the teeth.
- Gently move the floss up and down by wrapping it around the side of one tooth. Next, wrap the floss around the side of one tooth and do the exact same.
- With the next set of teeth, repeat steps 4 to 6. Some teeth have a greater gap between them than others, while some may be more snug. Floss between each pair as gently as you can.
- Make sure you floss around your last set of molars. Simply wrap the floss around the tooth, and then move it up or down.
An electric toothbrush is an option
Electric toothbrushes have more power and have been scientifically proven to be more effective than manual toothbrushes in removing plaque and improving gum health. An electric toothbrush can reach between the wires and brackets to get rid of bacteria before it becomes a problem.