Flossing is integral to maintaining good dental hygiene but can become particularly complicated for people wearing braces. Yet, keeping teeth and gums healthy throughout your treatment is essential. This blog has covered the significance of proper flossing techniques when caring for orthodontic patients. Here's an informative guide on effectively performing dental floss with braces.
Why Flossing Is Important with Braces
Braces create additional areas where food particles and plaque build up, leading to cavities, gum disease, and other dental complications if left alone. Regular flossing will remove debris and plaque buildup between your teeth and around them while helping ensure you leave behind an ideal smile once your braces come off.
What Tools You Need
Gather all the below mentioned tools before flossing
Orthodontic Floss Threaders: Specially made to avoid shredding from braces, orthodontic floss threaders are flexible tools that enable users to thread their floss under the primary braces wire for effective flossing.
Water Flossers An electronic device designed to use a stream of water to remove plaque and food debris.
Interdental Brushes Tiny brushes are used for interdental cleaning between teeth or around brace brackets.
Step-By-Step Flossing Guide
Step 1 Choose an Appropriate Floss
Cut about 18 inches of dental floss; this length is enough to work with and maneuver around the braces.
Step 2 Utilize a Threader
A floss threader can be an invaluable aid to those living with braces. This tool makes navigating floss under your archwire easier. Insert one end in the loop of your threader, and use this piece of equipment to guide it between your primary wire of braces.
Step 3 Floss between your teeth
Once the floss is under the wire, gently move up and down between the teeth. Make sure you are going below the gumline. Avoid the floss from snapping into your gums as it can irritate.
Step 4 Make use of interdental brushes
Interdental brushes can be extremely helpful for keeping braces, brackets, and wires clean. Select an ideal brush size that comfortably fits between your teeth without forceful manipulation before gently inserting your interdental brush between braces and teeth for best results.
Step 5 Consider A Water Flosser
Water flossers can make a practical addition to any oral hygiene regimen; using its stream of water effectively cleans between and around braces. For best results, it should be used once daily.
Tips for Effective Flossing with Braces
Be gentle To prevent injury to your gums, stay consistent with your flossing habits.
Stay Consistent Make it part of your schedule at least once daily before bedtime to floss effectively and maintain gum health.
Rinse with Fluoride Using fluoride after flossing can strengthen your teeth and prevent cavities.
Conclusion
Inconsistent flossing results in plaque buildup, which compromises gum health over time - only regular and consistent flossing prevents this accumulation and keeps gum health high! Although flossing with braces requires additional patience and time commitment, its benefits to dental health make the effort worthwhile.
Dr.Carl F Lipe from Denver advises his patients to make flossing part of a daily regimen for maximum benefit.