Flossing can be more than a little tricky to master when you first get your braces! The following instructions and tips will help you effectively floss with braces, and keep your teeth and gums healthy during treatment.
Oral Hygiene & Braces
When it comes to keeping your teeth healthy, and especially when you have braces, a good oral hygiene routine is extremely important.
Braces, with all their little nooks and crannies, have a way of catching and hanging onto food particles and debris. When buildup isn’t cleaned off regularly and carefully, it can lead to dental decay and gum disease. These, in turn, can have a long-term impact on your orthodontic treatment.
For these reasons, maintaining a really thorough brushing and flossing routine is doubly important when you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment.
How to Floss With Braces
There’s no two ways about it: flossing with braces is time-consuming, and requires patience. But since it’s so important to your oral health, you must take the time to get it right. You’ll be glad you did!
To floss with braces, follow these steps.
- Use a waxed floss; unwaxed floss is more likely to get caught and fray or tear on your braces.
- Cut about 18 inches of floss
- Take up your floss and thread it carefully UNDER the main wire of the braces, before passing it between your teeth
- Move the floss up and down the sides of both teeth, making a “U” shape in both directions
- Remove the floss, and then re-thread it under the main wire, and pass it between then next set of teeth
You'll probably find this procedure a bit fiddly at first, but you’ll soon get the hang of it, and be able to move along much faster. Until then, take your time and remember: practice makes perfect!