How to Floss Your Teeth If You Have Braces

If you've ever visited an orthodontist in 33304, you know how important it is to brush and floss your teeth every day. It's all too easy to overlook flossing with braces because it's more difficult and time-consuming than flossing without dental braces.  Flossing every day is essential if you want your teeth to be healthy, beautiful, strong, and straight after your orthodontic treatment is completed. Knowing how to floss with braces can help you take control of the situation and keep your teeth clean.  

Flossing With Braces

Choosing Your Dental Floss

There are many different types of dental floss available. When you have dental braces, it's crucial to choose the right dental floss; thin, wax-coated floss is ideal. Unwaxed floss is more thread-like and can easily get caught in and shredded by your braces.  A floss threader, which is a small dental tool that makes threading floss around your wires much easier, is also a good idea.  

A Step-by-Step Guide to Flossing With Braces

1. Rinse your mouth to loosen any food particles.
2. Brush your teeth for at least two minutes, focusing on each bracket.
3. Place a string of floss between each tooth and use a sawing motion to remove any loose particles.
4. To floss the base of each tooth near the gums, thread the floss string under the wire. Using a floss threader will make this process go faster.
5. Pull the floss between the teeth to the base of the gum line.
6. Pull the floss to one side of a tooth and gently move it up and down. Then pull the floss on the side of the adjacent tooth and do the same.
7. Steps 4–6 should be repeated for the remaining teeth. Make every effort to floss between each pair as carefully as possible.
8. Remember to floss around the outside of your last set of molars as well. 

Talk To an Orthodontist in 33304

1500 Dental can provide exceptional quality of care from general dental sessions to orthodontic treatment and everything in between. Visit our website or call us to schedule a consultation to discuss your orthodontic treatment options.