How to Floss with Braces
Not very many people like to floss, and even less like to floss if they have braces. But flossing is an important part of oral health, so if you want your teeth and gums to be as healthy as they can be, it’s best to learn how to floss with braces.
Eating with Braces
However, before you learn how to floss with braces, you should be eating the right kinds of food. If you are, you’ll be making your life a lot easier when it comes time to floss. If you aren’t, you may have to spend even longer flossing, or worse, have to spend longer in braces.
For recommendations on a good diet for braces, check out our Eating with Braces page.
Traditional Flossing
The tried-and-true method of flossing is very effective when it comes to cleaning food and plaque from between your teeth. However, it can be a bit tricky. We recommend getting floss threaders which are cheap and will help immensely with flossing. Using waxed floss is also recommended.
Here’s how to floss with traditional floss:
- Using an 18- to 24-inch piece of floss, gently thread the floss between the main wire and your teeth.
- Wrap the ends of the floss around your index fingers.
- Gently press the floss between the two teeth and slide the floss up and down along your teeth, making sure to reach all the way to your gum line.
- Remove the floss and gently unthread it from behind the wire.
- Move on to the next pair of teeth and repeat.
Dr. Kendra Pratt Manning
At Dr. Kendra Pratt Manning’s Orthodontist office, we want to help you reach your orthodontic goals and we do that by teaching you how to properly take care of your teeth when you have braces. We can help you learn how to maintain your braces as well as how to use your retainer and much more.
If you have any questions about braces or would like to schedule an appointment at our Woodlands, Texas location, contact us today!
