So last thing when you have braces is not always an easy task, but it’s important to do every day. If you neglect your flossing routine, you will build up bacteria between your teeth that can lead to tooth decay. When you have braces, you’re trying to fix your oral health concerns, and neglecting flossing with braces will only worsen your situation.

Whether you’re an adult, child, or teenager, you need to be mindful about your braces, and it takes great care of your mouth. Please continue reading to learn important tips for flossing with braces that you should know.

Don’t Be Stingy With Your Dental Floss

It would be best to use 18 inches of dental floss to comfortably wrap it around your fingers and easily get between your teeth. If you’re only pinching the floss between your fingers, you might have trouble hanging onto it, and you won’t do as well flossing your teeth. Flossing when you have a retainer in mouth is hard, but it’s not impossible.

It would help if you flossed at least once a day when you have braces, so it would be best to stock up on dental floss to make your life easier.

Use The Right Floss

The best floss you can use when you have braces is wax floss because it’s less likely to get caught in your braces or ripped while you use it. Other types of dental floss might get caught or torn during use, making you frustrated when taking care of your teeth. When you first use the right floss, you don’t have to worry about returning with other tools to remove stray dental floss from your braces.

Take Your Time

When you have braces, it might be more difficult getting between the nooks and crannies of your teeth. So, it would help if you exercised patience when flossing your teeth to ensure you do an excellent job. Many say it takes three times the energy and time to floss for teeth with braces, and it does when you don’t have braces.

Flossing your teeth when you have braces is the best way to prevent gum to teeth disease and finish your treatment with a beautiful smile. The main reason you’re straightening your teeth is so your smile looks better and feels comfortable, and flossing also plays an important role in accomplishing that goal.

Be Mindful About Your Wires

You might feel like you’re wires get in the way of reaching the base of your teeth while flossing. So, it would be best to thread your floss under the main wire before using it between your teeth. This method will allow you to reach down to your gums and successfully flaws without your braces blocking your path.

If you try going straight to flossing without threading it under the wire, you won’t be able to reach your gums which is the main spot you need to access to reduce bacteria. Threading your floss under your wire might take a few tries at first, but flossing will get easier with braces once you nail it.

Use an Orthodontic Threader

You can speak with your orthodontist about orthodontic threaders if you have adolescent braces, adult braces, or kids braces. This tool will make it easier for you to get your floss under the wire of your braces so that you don’t have to consume time threading it yourself. For example, think about sewing and how you need a needle to thread your yarn through fabric. The same idea applies when you use an orthodontic rudder to get under the wire of your braces.

Don’t Get Lazy About Flossing With Braces

The most important tip you can take away from this article is not to get lazy when you have braces. Many people use their braces as an excuse as to why they cannot floss, but braces should never be an excuse. You should be extra diligent about flossing with braces if you want to come out of treatment with a clean and healthy smile.

Parents Should Assist Children With Braces

If you have a child with braces, you must assist them with their flossing routine. Children have difficulty safely flossing to their gums under the braces’ wire. So, you must step in and help them with their flossing routine to ensure success.

Children also might feel uncomfortable flossing with braces, creating excuses as to why they can’t. This is also why you need to help your child with braces and floss their teeth to ensure they have great oral health during treatment. Otherwise, you could spend money fixing cavities they develop during teeth straightening.

Flossing is a Powerful Defense Against Tooth Decay

If you neglect to floss your teeth when you have braces, then you put yourself at risk of developing tooth decay. Tooth decay can cause cavities and abscesses if you’re not careful in preventing the situation; your teeth are especially vulnerable when you undergo a straightening treatment like a retainer in mouth or braces.

The reason you need to be extra diligent during these key straightening processes is that additional bacteria can build up in your mouth when you have braces, aligners, or retainers. The bacterial buildup is the cause of tooth decay, and you want to avoid this situation as much as possible.

Final Thoughts

Adolescent braces are the most common type of braces out there, but everyone who wears braces needs to be diligent about flossing. These tips will help you keep your mouth clean during teeth straightening treatment so that you don’t have to visit the dentist often once your braces are removed. If you don’t floss your teeth regularly with braces, you risk developing cavities and other tooth decay scenarios.

If you have children with braces, you need to help them get under their wire, so the floss reaches their gums. You can also use tools to help you get under the wire so that you can have a thorough flossing session without trouble.

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