209-575-5888If you have braces, you already know that flossing can be tricky. There are many tools that can make your task easier. Here are three ways to floss with braces:
Waxed Floss: Waxed floss will help ensure that your teeth won’t get stuck. Slice a strip of floss between 12 and 18 inches long. Then stick it through the gap between teeth between the wire of your braces and your gumline. Grasp the other end from the inside your mouth. Wrap each end along your index fingers and put it through the crevice on another side of your tooth. If you do this correctly, the thread will be wrapped around the back of the tooth. Rub up and down along each side. Repeat this until you have reached all areas of your mouth.
Water Flosser: Many people enjoy the convenience of a water flosser. They shoot powerful jets of water in between your teeth, removing debris and bacteria. These are easy to get online or in specialty stores. Fill the reservoir with water. Then aim the power jet at one of the crevices of your teeth at a 90-degree angle and turn it on. The floss will squirt a steady stream of water between the gap, freeing the food particles and bacteria that are trapped there. Repeat with each tooth.
Floss Threader: Shaped like a small lasso, a floss threader will help you fit the floss between each tooth. Simply thread it into the loop the same way you would thread a needle. Then insert the other end of the floss threader above the wire of your braces and into the crevice between your teeth. Continue from there as directed above with waxed floss. Replicate this with each tooth.
If you have any questions, you can talk to Champion Orthodontics in Modesto, California. Just call 209-575-5888. Our orthodontist, Dr. Ronald Champion, and our wonderful orthodontic staff would be delighted to help.