Wearing braces, whether you’re a teenager or an adult, can be difficult. However, the benefits of braces far outweigh any of the downsides. That’s true for both adults and teenagers.
Taking care of basic dental maintenance doesn’t stop when you’ve got braces, though. In fact, people wearing braces can be more susceptible to food-related debris because of the wiring.
Wearing braces can alter the way you take care of basic oral hygiene, especially flossing. Use these three tips to learn how to floss with braces in the way.
After all, you’ll want those perfectly straight teeth to be clean and healthy once the braces come off!
Get the Right Dental Floss
To floss the right way with braces, first buy the right type of dental floss. With so many different products available, it can be hard to sort through your options. Using what you already have in the bathroom cabinet may not be ideal.
When you’re wearing braces, waxed dental floss is the best choice. Waxed floss is ideal because unwaxed floss can get caught and shred in your braces.
Using a special dental floss for people wearing braces can also work well if your dentist recommends a particular brand.
Use Plenty of Floss
Flossing is the best way to remove food that could be stuck in your braces and around the gum line. However, flossing doesn’t work as well when you skimp on the length of the dental floss that you’re using.
When you get ready to floss, you’ll want to wind about 18 inches of dental floss around your fingers. That way, you can unspool more floss as you go and use a clean piece each time. That will work the best for your teeth.
If you don’t use a long enough piece of floss, you could just be moving the plaque on the surface of your teeth and the food caught in your braces from one area to the next.
Ask Your Dentist for Help
Your dentist won’t be there with you every time you floss, but that doesn’t mean he or she can’t be helpful in showing you how to floss with braces the first time. In fact, your dentist may even have some expert tips that make the job a lot easier for you.
After you get your braces—or even during a checkup—have your dentist show you how to floss with braces. If there’s some aspect of flossing that’s unclear to you, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Your dentist wants you to floss the right way and maintain optimal dental health while you’re wearing your braces.
Contact Carlyle Orthodontics to learn how to floss with braces. Carlyle Orthodontics can also help you with teen and adult braces, as well as procedures like Invasilign. Whatever your need to perfect your smile, Carlyle Orthodontics can help.