When you have braces, flossing can be a bit of a challenge, but it is critically important to the best possible outcome – your beautiful, straight smile. When you decide to get braces, you are committing to your smile, so if your oral hygiene isn’t well maintained, other dental issues may arise.
Braces can trap food, sugar, and liquid after eating, so regular brushing and flossing are important for good oral health. These tips from your Newton Center orthodontist will make you the boss over your floss.
Use Wax Floss
It is best to use waxed floss when you have braces because the wax layer helps the floss flow smoothly between your braces, unlike unwaxed floss which can get stuck, fray, or even break.
- Take a piece of floss that is about 12 to 18 inches long
- With one hand, thread one end of the floss between your brace wire while grasping the other end of the floss as it comes through the other side.
- Gently push one end of the floss between your teeth and slide the floss back and forth between your teeth from your gums to the top of your teeth. Make sure you floss gently so that you don’t tug on the braces.
- Unthread the floss from your teeth by dropping one end of the floss and pulling the other end all the way through your teeth. And then repeat this process between each tooth.
Use a Floss Threader
A floss threader can make flossing easier when you have braces because it has a loop on the end that helps pull the floss through your braces and between your teeth.
- Using the same length of floss, pull the floss through the loop end of the threader until you have two equal lengths of the floss on each side of the loop.
- Insert the straight end of the threader through the brace wire with one hand, and then pull the threader loop with the floss between your teeth, flossing back and forth from the gum to the top of your teeth.
- Because you are flossing with two strands of floss, you will get a deeper clean using the threader.
Schedule a Visit With Your Newton Centre Orthodontist Today
At Carvalho & Roth Orthodontics, we work with all of our patients to help teach proper oral hygiene while they have braces. If you are looking for a leading and trusted orthodontist in Newton Centre, please contact our office to schedule a consultation, or you can also request an appointment online.