It’s sad to quote that brushing, an essential oral hygiene habit, is a burden for some people. So when it comes to flossing, even less care. As compared to brushing, flossing is an effort and time taking task and becomes more difficult with metal braces on your teeth. But remember that flossing is the counterpart of oral hygiene seesaw and is necessary to maintain the equilibrium.
Traditional braces consist of metallic wires and brackets and provide a perfect habitat to germs and bacteria, and these same wires make it hard to floss. To make things easy for you and your teeth, below in this article, we’ll discuss some super easy flossing techniques with braces.
Is flossing really necessary? What happens if you don’t floss with braces?
Brush and floss your teeth twice daily – is a phrase we often hear, read, and see from dentists, newsletters, television advertisements, and even bus stands. But what is it that makes flossing such important? Everything you eat and drink contains certain bacteria and acids that swirl around your teeth. For getting rid of these harmful bacteria, it’s essential to adopt a good oral hygiene routine. While brushing alone is enough to keep some parts of mouth or teeth clean, others need extra effort.
The spaces between your teeth are a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Your toothbrush bristles can’t wash away germs and bacteria stuck between those gaps, and this is where flossing comes in handy. Now just imagine how braces can worsen the situation. With braces on, flossing becomes even more critical. If you cannot keep up the cleaning work, you will compromise your oral and, ultimately, overall health. Halitosis, gingivitis, discolored teeth, and gum disease are just some complications that can arise due to improper cleaning habits.
How to floss with braces?
The brackets pasted on your teeth are connected by arch wires that provide the required forces to help straighten your teeth. These wires make flossing difficult because they don’t allow much free space to move the floss between your teeth. To overcome this hurdle, thread the floss in-between the gaps behind your arch wire. Upon success, gently floss between the teeth and be careful not to stretch the wire. Now do the same for all of your teeth, and when done, give yourself a pat on the back.
Flossing with a wax-covered thread makes it easier to take care of your braces. This is because the traditional floss can get stuck between the brackets and wires and leave behind floss strands. Some other types of floss include:
Electric water flosser like Waterpik is best for kids and older people who may find it too hard to floss conventionally. This type of flosser projects water with high pressure to remove the bacteria.
You can also opt for an orthodontic floss threader. This pointy device makes it super easy to thread floss behind the arch wires.
Summing up
Regular brushing and flossing with braces is the key to successful orthodontic treatment and promises a healthy and pretty smile. For any questions regarding flossing with braces, feel free to contact the dental team at Pasadena Oral Surgery. To schedule an appointment, call us at (281) 299 0053.