Dr. Ryan Caudill and Dr. Angela McNeight encourage their patients and families to floss daily because it is an important part of the oral care routine. While undergoing orthodontic treatment, patients are more prone to develop cavities because food sticks to the brackets and Invisalign attachments. So it is even more important to floss daily while in braces or Invisalign.
As Invisalign trays are removed prior to brushing and flossing, there is no excuse for doing a great job with flossing. With traditional braces, the wires and brackets block parts of the tooth surfaces and create more of a challenge. Our awesome team will teach you the best way to floss around your brackets and wires the day you start treatment. Develop some patience as well, as it may take a little longer to care for your teeth with braces.
How to Floss with Braces:
- Use a waxed floss, as unwaxed floss is more prone to get caught and to shred in your braces.
- Use about 18 inches of floss and slide it below the wire (next to your gumline) and between your teeth. An orthodontic floss threader is an inexpensive tool that can be purchased in any store that sells toothpaste and toothbrushes. We also give you a few Platypus Orthodontic Flossers when you begin treatment to try out. We also recommend Plackers Orthopicks.
- Repeat for each gap in the teeth, until the floss shows no more signs of debris.
We encourage you to also check out our blog about manual floss alternatives, which includes the advantages of Waterpiks and Airflossers. These tools might completely change the way you look at your oral health routine. Any of these methods will remove the food particles that can lead to bacteria, plaque, and tooth decay.
