So, you’ve recently had braces put on your teeth in Fort Pierce! Having braces put on is an exciting time for you. This is the first step to having that beautiful smile that you’ve always dreamed of.
But with braces comes many changes to your dental hygiene and eating habits. You most likely have to keep your braces on for several years. With that being said, it’s important that you understand and follow all of the rules for taking care of your mouth and teeth while wearing braces.
Failure to do so could lead to an unhealthy mouth. One of those important things to understand is how to floss with braces. Flossing with braces could be a bit of a challenge, but it’s essential that you still do so.
Although it might be difficult at first, you can learn how to floss your teeth while wearing braces by following our helpful guide. Continue reading below to find out more!
Use Waxed Floss
Our first tip is to use waxed floss. If you use floss that isn’t waxed, you could end up getting it caught in your braces, which might lead to the floss shredding apart. The waxed floss will slip between your teeth with much more ease.
Take your waxed floss and slip it behind the wire of your braces and back around your tooth that you want to floss. Be sure not to snap the floss. You’ll want to move it up and down between the two teeth.
Once you’ve completed this step, remove the floss and repeat with the next two teeth.
Give Yourself Enough
When flossing your teeth with braces, you’ll want to ensure that you have enough floss to get the job done. You’ll want to cut yourself about 18-24 inches of it. This will give you enough floss to thread it through your wires and behind your teeth with ease.
Using anything shorter than this could result in you having to toss it and cut a new piece. When you have a sufficient amount of floss, you can thread it through and then wrap the end pieces around your fingers to help you with handling the floss. Be sure to stand in front of a mirror when threading your floss through your braces.
It makes the process a whole lot easier for you.
Use a Waterpik
You could consider using a Waterpik to floss your teeth. A Waterpik uses a consistent stream of water to clean along your gum line and in between your teeth. This device is pretty efficient at cleaning and flossing your teeth, so you’ll only need to spend about 3 or 5 minutes flossing your teeth with it.
And to add to its benefits, some Waterpiks also have tapered tips on the ends. These tapered tips are used as tools to help you clean around your brackets!
Use a Floss Threader
Floss threaders are those nifty little flossing tools you’ve probably seen on the shelves but never considered to buy. They’re a small piece of plastic made for easy handling with a tight strip of floss connected to it. This tool is going to be a big help when needing to floss behind your brace’s wires.
The threader will also make your flossing process quicker. You hold the plastic part in your fingers and use it to guide the floss where needed. You can find these flossing tools at just about any drug store!
Use Dental Tape
If you have overally sensitive teeth, then flossing could become quite painful. This is normally due to not having a good flossing routine in place before having your braces put on. Now, not only does flossing leave your gums bloody and sore, but the pain is even more intensified because of the pressure from your braces.
With that being said, a good solution is a dental tape. Dental tape is an ultra-thin floss that is also spongey and smooth. You can consider using dental tape until your gums become strong and healthy.
This is the kind of floss that is thinner than the traditional floss and wider. It almost resembles the shape of a ribbon. It slides between your teeth with much more ease, and you’ll use it exactly like you would your normal floss.
Use an Electric Toothbrush
Once you have a good flossing routine down, it’s important to have a good brushing routine in place as well. Pairing an electric toothbrush with a good flossing routine is the best way to keep your teeth strong and healthy while wearing braces.
The electric brushes will clean your teeth a lot better than the tradition brushes, so you’ll get much better results with an electric toothbrush than you would with a normal one. These brushes can be a bit more expensive than a regular toothbrush, but it’s worth the money especially if you have braces.
Flossing with Braces Doesn’t Have to Be a Chore!
After reading through our guide, we hope that you now know that flossing with braces doesn’t have to be a chore. Flossing with your braces on can be a breeze when following these helpful tips. Try a couple of these techniques listed above until you find one that works best for you and your teeth!
Need to schedule an appointment? Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to ask any questions that you may have! Here at Jacobus Orthodontics, we’re dedicated to helping those in need of orthodontic services in Fort Pierce.