Reasons to floss, when to floss & tools for flossing with while in braces for maximum efficiency!
I can't even tell you how many times I receive the question, "but doc, do I really have to floss? It's so difficult with braces".
I totally understand the frustration you all must have about flossing with braces. As someone who went through orthodontic treatment twice in my life, once as a child and again as an adult, I can assure you that it is actually one of the most difficult parts of having braces. Hopefully some of the information we go over in this post can shed light on the HUGE value of flossing and some tips, tricks, and tools you can use to make this process a whole lot easier!
Must-Have Hygiene Products!
These tools, coupled with the information in these blog posts will dramatically improve your hygiene during your braces journey and help prevent any discomfort, cavities, gum disease and additional costs!
Important of flossing with braces?
When you don't floss, you're not cleaning 40% of your teeth!
That’s right! Much like what we discussed our eBook, Life with Braces, when you only brush your teeth, you physically cannot reach or clean 40% of your tooth structure. While, yes, you may be cleaning the chewing surface, cheek side and tongue side of each tooth (60% of the tooth structure) in your mouth, you’re missing two very important surfaces of each tooth: the contact in front and behind that tooth (the remaining 40%)! Generally these areas are like little caves where bacteria can hide away and live uninterrupted causing tooth decay and gum disease. The longer the bacteria remain there, the stronger they attach to the tooth and the more dangerous they become to your teeth, gums, and underlying bone.
How to floss with braces?
Flossing with braces is more difficult but definitely necessary!
There are a number of ways you can floss with braces to clean the bacteria and plaque that accumulates in between your teeth and under your gums. Like I mentioned before, only brushing your teeth leaves the entire are between your teeth uncleaned. Below are some of my favorite tools that I always recommend my patients invest in to maintain their oral hygiene! Earlier in this blog, I included a video demonstrating how to use all of these tools!
I am personally a big fan of the Glide Pro-Health floss. This floss is only lightly coated in wax so it doesn’t have that gross waxy feel but still glides smoothly between your contacts without much force. Also it is really strong & shred resistant which is a big plus
As you can imagine it’s super tough to thread the floss between your teeth and he braces using just your fingers. These threaders do a phenomenal job to help with that. Simply place a piece of floss in the opening of the threader and use the tip to go between your teeth and braces. Then floss as usual!
If you are a fan of floss threaders, you will absolutely love Super Floss. They are pre-cut pieces of floss that come with a built-in, disposable, threader. There are two thicknesses of floss of the same piece of floss: a spongy floss to help clean around appliances and wide spaces, and regular floss to clean under the gumline!
Soft-Picks are not like traditional floss. They are not on a string but rather are similar to a toothpick. Toothpicks, however, are really hard and can damage your teeth & gums. Soft-picks have flexible, comfortable bristles to gently remove plaque, dislodge food between the teeth!
Proxabrushes are a bit more aggressive than Soft-Picks but they are great for older patients who have some horizontal bone loss (those black triangles you notice on the gumline). For larger spaces and to clean between the braces and the teeth, under the wire, Proxabrushes are the best! They come in a bunch of different sizes so be sure to pick the size that’s best for you!
One of my favorite! Platypus flossers are a modified version of traditional flossers because one side is flat, like a platypus’ nose. This flat side fits perfectly under the braces wire and allows for you to floss your teeth without having to use a threader. On the other side of the flosser is a little pick similar to the proxabrush that can be used to clean around where the braces connect to your teeth
How often do you have to floss?
Flossing thoroughly once a day is enough to disrupt the bacteria!
If you do a thorough job flossing your teeth, you only have to do it once a day! That means you only have to floss either in the morning or at night. You have to be very meticulous to ensure that when you floss, you go between your teeth and clean both the teeth in each contact! If you have questions about the proper way to floss, please revisit my video on YouTube and ask me or your dentist any questions you may have!
Flossing before / after you brush your teeth?
Recent research shows you should floss before you brush.
This was a common debated issue with no consensus until August of 2018! Previously, many people believed that flossing after brushing helped guide fluoride into the area between the teeth but a recent publication in The Journal of Periodontology, showed that flossing BEFORE brushing resulted in more efficiency plaque removal. But remember, it is important to do both in order to achieve ideal oral health!
Flossing vs WaterPik alone?
Although WaterPiks are a fantastic product, they are not a substitute for flossing.
Okay, so I absolutely love WaterPiks and think they should be part of everyones oral hygiene routine because they are phenomenal at dislodging food particles and breaking up biofilm around the braces but they are not a substitute to flossing. I will go into more details about WaterPiks in a future blog post though and show you the ones I recommend! If you want to learn more about WaterPiks and different types of water flossers that you can use while in braces, check out one of my latest videos on Braces Explained, VIDEO: Best Waterpik Water Flosser Review. During this episode we explain how and when to use your Waterpik in your oral hygiene routine as well as review my favorite Waterpik water flossers!
Don't have the right tools? Don't worry! I've got you covered. After searching for the best deals of all the products I recommend on Amazon, I have compiled a store for your convenience!
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