Pretty much everyone knows that flossing is good for you. Just because something is good for you doesn’t mean that it’s always easy though. That especially holds true for flossing when you have braces. The good news is that there are some tips you can use to make it easier to have a successful flossing experience while you have them.
There isn’t a way around the fact that flossing when you have braces is going to take more time than it used to. There are tools that you can use to make the process easier and faster, but you’ll still need to go slower than you’re probably used to. Braces have delicate components and connections. If you’re too hasty, you risk damaging your braces and failing to be thorough in your efforts. Build time into your oral care routine so that you have the time to be careful about it and do a good job.
As previously mentioned, there are tools that you can use to make flossing less of a headache when you have braces. Floss threaders make it easier to get string floss under your archwires so you can get all the surfaces between your teeth. Some floss picks are specifically designed to work with braces, threading underneath the wires so you can floss more easily. Waterpiks are great for getting under archwires and around brackets, using a powered stream of water to flush away food particles.
Using different flossing tools isn’t the only thing you can do. Not all floss is the same. Choose a waxed floss to reduce the chances of it snagging on your braces and leaving behind bits of floss. Technically it doesn’t really matter if you brush or floss first, but if you start by swishing water around your mouth, followed by brushing, you should be able to get rid of, or at least loosen, a lot of the food particles. That should make flossing easier.
If you want to have healthy teeth, flossing them a minimum of once every day is a must. Take the time to do a good job so you can get every surface of your teeth (except the part underneath the brackets) nice and clean. That way, not only will your teeth be straight when your braces are finally removed, they’ll also be as healthy as possible.
Flossing isn’t the only part of oral hygiene you need to pay extra attention to when you have braces. Get more information about oral hygiene with braces by clicking on the link.
