A straighter smile is the goal of starting orthodontic treatment with braces, but it also requires modifying your dental hygiene routine to make room for the brackets and wires. The most important of these changes is learning how to floss while wearing braces.
Effective flossing is a must to avoid the accumulation of food particles and plaque that can cause cavities, gum disease, and, eventually, a reduced orthodontic result.
Is It Necessary to Floss with Braces?
Flossing is essential when wearing braces for cleaning the surfaces of your teeth and the region surrounding your brackets. Here’s why flossing is important with braces:
- Plaque Buildup: Food particles and germs can gather in the many crevices that braces produce. This accumulation turns into plaque if left unchecked, which can cause a number of dental issues.
- Bad Breath: Halitosis, or foul breath, is largely caused by germs and trapped food particles. Flossing helps in eliminating these odorous causes.
- Tooth Decay: The acids produced by bacteria in plaque can erode tooth enamel and cause cavities. If you don’t floss, this risk will increase since braces make it more difficult for saliva to wash away food particles.
- Gum Disease: Inflammation (gingivitis) can be caused by plaque accumulation along the gum line. If treatment is not received, this can develop into periodontitis, a more serious type of gum disease that can harm the bone and soft tissues that support your teeth and perhaps result in tooth loss.
Step-by-Step Guide to Floss with Braces
Here’s a step-by-step guide to floss with braces:
Get the Threader and Floss Ready
Trim the waxed dental floss to roughly 18 inches. Waxed floss is advised for braces since it is less prone to tear or become lodged in the brackets. Pull 4 to 6 inches of floss through the eye by threading one end of the floss through the floss threader’s loop.
Thread Under the Archwire
Move the floss threader’s pointed end gently beneath your braces’ archwire near your gum line. Pull the threader through to get the floss under the wire.
Floss Between the Teeth
Remove the floss threader, leaving the floss behind the archwire. Leave one to two inches of taut floss between your index fingers as you wrap the ends of the floss around them. Use a gentle back-and-forth motion to move the floss between your teeth.
Clean Every Surface of Your Teeth
Curve the floss into a “C” shape on the side of one tooth after it is between your teeth. Carefully move the floss up and down the tooth’s surface, just below the gum line. Curve the floss into a “C” shape against the neighboring tooth and repeat this process.
Remove the Floss
Be careful not to catch the floss on the wires or brackets as you carefully glide it out from between your teeth.
Repeat it for Every Tooth
You must use the floss threader to rethread the floss under the archwire for every tooth, then continue the flossing procedure. This extends below the gum line and covers the front, rear, and sides of every tooth.
Ending Note!
Maintaining a healthy smile both during and after orthodontic treatment requires regular and appropriate flossing. If it seems challenging at first, don’t give up; with experience, it will become a routine aspect of your dental hygiene regimen.
Dr. Bryan Boshart at Bay Colony Dental and Orthodontics can help you with your queries about flossing with braces. Call (281) 337-9000 to schedule your appointment today!