Flossing with Braces
Flossing your teeth becomes a whole new ballgame when you add braces to the mix! Utah Orthodontic Care is here to help you through the adjustment period and teach how to floss effectively, even with new hardware. Unfortunately, braces make it easy for food and bacteria to stay between your teeth and the brackets. Because of this, we want all of our patients with braces to know the best and easiest techniques to remove plaque and food particles, and ultimately continue practicing excellent oral hygiene while wearing braces.
Always Use the Correct Tool
At Utah Orthodontic Care, we know that flossing with braces isn’t the easiest task. But, we also want to equip you with the best tools possible. Unfortunately, regular flossing and braces do not work well together. We recommend using an orthodontic floss threader. An easy, inexpensive tool that can be found right next to the toothbrushes and floss in the drug store. The threader allows you to pull the floss in between each tooth, above the bracket and wire, to reach the gum line. This is essential when flossing your affordable braces.
Waxed Floss
With your floss threader, we also recommend using waxed floss. Waxed floss will be easier with your braces and will not break or get caught on the brackets. The difference between waxed floss and regular floss is huge when dealing with braces. Take it from us, you do not want pieces of floss stuck between your teeth!
Follow the Utah Orthodontic Care Flossing Steps
With your threader and waxed floss, you’re ready to floss correctly. At Utah Orthodontic Care, we want you to follow our flossing guide every day:
- Start with about 12 inches of floss
- Put one end of the floss through the orthodontic threader
- Grab each end of the floss and wrap it around your middle fingers
- Gently slide the floss up and down on both sides of your teeth, make sure you get all the way up to the gum line
- Pull the piece of floss out and repeat for each tooth, continue until you’ve flossed every tooth
Disclosing Tablets
We know that this flossing process is a bit different than what you are used to. But, we want to make sure you are flossing correctly and getting all the hard to reach areas. To double check your flossing work, we recommend using a disclosing tablet. It’s a small dissolvable tablet containing vegetable dye. The dye will quickly color any area of your teeth and mouth that need a little extra attention next time. This will help you see which areas you are flossing well and which areas need a little more work.
Schedule Your Visit for Affordable Orthodontics in Utah!
For any questions or concerns about flossing with braces, contact Utah Orthodontic Care! We understand that flossing is different now with braces, and our orthodontists want to help you through the process. To schedule your first appointment for affordable braces in Utah, fill out our easy online form or call us directly at (801) 999-4431. We look forward to seeing you soon!