Daily flossing is a crucial piece for maintaining a healthy smile. But, with braces, traditional flossing is just about impossible. Flossing around brackets and wires is frustrating and time consuming. So, we want to help make flossing easier for our braces patients by offering a few tips on the subject:
Use The Proper Tool
You’ll find it ineffective to simply use standard dental floss to maneuver between teeth. Instead, use an orthodontic floss threader to assist in the flossing process. This inexpensive and disposable tool is crucial because it allows you to pull the floss through the teeth above the wire and reach the gum line. If you don’t already have a tool like this, ask the doctors where you can get one at your next appointment.
Help Younger Children Floss
While flossing should be an everyday practice no different than brushing our teeth, too often it becomes forgotten or omitted from our oral hygiene habits entirely, even as adults. Therefore, children are much less likely to floss on their own. In order to instill good habits as they grow, we suggest a parent assists in this process. For best practice, have your child sit and watch television or listen to music to keep occupied while you help floss, as it can take a while at first.
Use Waxed Floss
When flossing with braces, it is best to use waxed floss with a floss threader, which will slip between each tooth without catching so easily. Non-wax floss is much more likely to catch on braces and leave behind shreds of floss.
Pro Tip: Always remember to gently slide the floss up into the gum line of both teeth before removing the floss and threader and going to the next tooth.
Flossing with braces can be difficult and time consuming, even with the right tools. But, you’ll only get better (and faster) with daily practice. Don’t give up on flossing, especially if you have braces. Regular flossing is crucial to help prevent gingivitis and plaque buildup.
Be sure to make flossing a part of your daily routine to build strong and healthy teeth that you can be proud of once you’ve completed , and as always, direct any questions to the doctors and staff at Perelmuter & Goldberg. We’re here to help!
November 30th, 2015