Flossing is an extremely important part of maintaining great oral health. Flossing daily helps prevent food and plaque build-up between teeth. Most people can use a small piece of floss or nylon dental tape by pressing it between their teeth. When you have braces, this process becomes more difficult because of the wire running in front of the teeth. While traditional flossing isn’t possible with braces, flossing is still very much a necessary process.
There are a few different tools that can help you when it comes to flossing with braces. Here are our four favourite braces-friendly tools.
Floss with Braces
Special Braces Floss
Threadable floss is a great option to get underneath the wire easily. With threaders, you will fit the floss through the open end of the threader and feed the other end underneath the wire. There are options like the Oral B super floss that has three components: the feeder is a thick string part, followed by thick and squishy dental tape to gently clean, which is trailed by a piece of regular floss.
GUM Picks
GUM picks are disposable plastic toothpicks with flexible rubber components designed to clean in between the teeth at the gum line. These can be a great addition, though it’s highly recommended to use actual floss to get that *snap* in between your teeth.
Water Flosser
Another option is to use a water flosser to remove the build-up plaque and bacteria in your mouth. Most water flossers are relatively expensive, though they can be worth the price and can be used for anyone who doesn’t have braces as well. You don’t have to worry about threading small pieces of floss between the wire and your teeth. In under a minute, you can effectively floss between each tooth.
Air Flosser
Like the water flosser, the air flosser is an alternative to traditional flossing methods. By releasing bursts of concentrated air, the smallest gaps can be reached, dislodging any stuck foods and stripping plaque from the gumline. While the air flosser is a great tool, in order for it to be effective, you need to brush your teeth as well.
The best way to prevent plaque growth and maintain healthy gums with braces is by flossing, brushing, and keeping up with your regular dental cleanings. Call Kingsville Family Dental today to book your next appointment with a Kingsville dentist.
Recent Comments