If
you or your child wears traditional metal braces, then your
orthodontist likely stresses the importance of brushing and flossing
every day to maintain good dental health. However, like many braces
wearers, you may find flossing such a challenge that you skip this
step in your oral hygiene routine on occasion or even neglect it
completely.
Unfortunately,
no matter how well you brush, you should always floss at least once a
day. Flossing helps remove plaque from between teeth and below the
gumline that is difficult to remove with a toothbrush alone. If you
do not remove this plaque on a daily basis, then you could develop
gum disease or cavities between your teeth.
Read
on to learn four tips that make it easier to floss while you wear
braces.
1.
Use the Right Traditional Flossing Tools
One
of the most time-tested and affordable ways to floss your teeth while
you wear braces is to use traditional dental floss combined with a
special device called a dental floss threader.
Check
the label of your floss to ensure that it is waxed and not unwaxed
floss. Unwaxed floss can shred when it rubs against braces wires and
brackets, while waxed floss tends to glide over them smoothly.
Braces
floss threaders are small loops of very stiff floss. They resemble
large sewing needles. If you have difficulty maneuvering dental floss
underneath your braces’ wires, you might accomplish the task much
more easily with the aid of a stiff floss threader.
To
use a floss threader, simply connect your floss to the loop, as you
would thread a sewing needle, then use the threader to thread the
floss under your braces' wires as you floss instead of attempting to
do it with your fingers.
2.
Look for Orthodontic Flossers
If
you enjoyed the use of floss picks — small pieces of dental floss
attached to small plastic handles — before you obtained
braces, then you will be happy to hear that there are similar
flossing tools made specifically for braces wearers.
Traditional
floss picks have wide handles that are impossible to maneuver under
braces wires, but orthodontic floss picks are attached to very narrow
handles that often slide right under braces’ wires. Many
braces wearers not only find these floss picks much easier to use
than traditional floss but also find that they make flossing a much
quicker task.
3.
Try an Interdental Cleaner
If
you would like to skip the traditional dental floss altogether, then
you may want to try one of the many different interdental cleaners
available today.
Some
interdental cleaners are short, thin sticks made of a stiff, yet
flexible material called polypropylene. You simply glide these short
sticks between your teeth to remove tartar and food particles.
Other
interdental cleaners, called interdental brushes, consist of thin,
flexible wires with short bristles attached to them. You slide these
brushes between your teeth and under the gum line to remove plaque.
These brushes come in many diameters meant to perform different
dental cleaning tasks, so be sure to choose a brush with a very small
diameter to avoid damaging your teeth or gums.
4.
Consider a Water Flosser
Another
way to clean between your teeth and under your gum line when you wear
braces is to use a water flosser. Water flossers project thin streams
of water on and between your teeth. Water flossers can be used to
remove plaque between teeth and under the gum line, just as
traditional dental floss does.
Some
water flossers even come with special orthodontic tips designed to
clean around braces’ brackets and wires without damaging them.
If
you occasionally skip flossing
while wearing braces due
to time constraints or how difficult it is to perform this task, then
use these tips to find a new flossing method that is easier for you.
Begin to floss your teeth every day to ward off gum disease and
cavity development. Contact the staff at Donald E. Snyder
Orthodontics for all of your family’s orthodontic needs today.
