Flossing with braces may seem impossible at first. But with practice it becomes easy. Why is flossing so important? You might be surprised how a small piece of floss can make a big difference in your oral health. But you will be surprised how effective flossing is. No matter how well you brush, no toothbrush can get into all the corners of your teeth like dental floss. By brushing and flossing, you remove food and bacteria that can lead to stains and cavities. It also helps prevent gingivitis and other oral health problems that can become a problem in the future. Brush your teeth at least twice and floss once a day. How to floss with orthodontics? Flossing with orthodontics is difficult at first. But with a little patience, you'll get over it and be a pro in no time. Flossing also takes time, but is totally worth it. ### Steps of flossing 1. Brush your teeth to remove bacteria, food particles and plaque. Make sure your toothbrush reaches all surfaces of your teeth (outside, inside, and smooth surfaces of the upper and lower arches). 2. Take a piece of thread about 20 cm long and wrap the end around your index finger to hold it tightly. 3. Floss with a gap between the wire and your teeth. 4. Floss between the teeth, along the vertical sides of each tooth and into the moving gum tissue to remove food particles and plaque buildup. 5. After flossing each tooth, wrap the used floss around your finger to avoid bringing germs back into your mouth. 6. Go to the next tooth and repeat this process. ### products available for flossing Currently, there are several alternative products for cleaning the interdental space on the market. Experiment to see which one you prefer. #### Dental floss Most people are familiar with dental floss, which has been around for about 200 years. It started out as waxed silk thread, but we now use waxed or unwaxed nylon. The waxed type is slightly thicker than the unwaxed thread, but is more likely to snag on the braces. To make it easier to floss around your braces, you can use a floss puller. The flosser helps to pass the wire between each tooth. Young children may need parental help with flossing until they can manage it on their own. #### Interdental brushes Interdental toothbrushes have small bristles that easily enter between teeth and remove food and plaque. Place the toothbrush between the teeth and gently brush back and forth several times to dislodge the food particles. Interdental brushes are designed to be used with water and not toothpaste as it can be too abrasive. They are available in different widths to suit the size of the gap between your teeth and last between three days and three weeks before you need to replace your toothbrush. There is research that shows interdental brushes are less aggressive on the gums than flossing because the brushes don't cut into the gums like flossing does. The bristles on the brush may also be more effective at removing bacteria from the interdental space than flossing. #### Water flosser Flosser sprays water between teeth to dislodge food. Flossing is also good for removing food around brackets and wires, but it's not necessary because your toothbrush and floss can do the same. Water flossers are good for people who don't like flossing and find it tedious, especially people with arthritic hands. So the choice is yours. Choose any flossing tool that you use every day. ### Is flossing more important for people with braces? Yes, wearing braces means there are a lot more areas where food particles can get trapped, which attracts bacteria. Bacteria produce acid and form plaque. Effective brushing and flossing is the best way to remove as much bacteria as possible from the teeth. ### Why does flossing hurt? Flossing can damage your gums if you don't floss regularly. If so, keep flossing and your gums will relax. ### Should I floss away from the gums? If you want to do this carefully, it's important to floss along the gum line. If you pull the floss too hard into the gum, you risk bruising. Floss gently with the curve of the floss around the base of the tooth (shaped C) so that the floss enters the tooth pocket without causing damage. ### Can you floss before brushing your teeth? If there is food stuck between your teeth or braces, you can use dental floss to remove it. Most people prefer to floss after brushing, but that's your choice. The most important part is to floss, in whatever order. ### Should I floss every day? It only takes 24 to 36 hours for plaque to harden on the teeth. By flossing every 24 hours, you don't give plaque a chance to harden. When plaque hardens, it holds more bacteria in the mouth and can lead to cavities. ### Need help flossing? If you have any questions about brushing or flossing, contact our dental clinic in Bomhan today and they will answer all your questions. At each of your appointments, we can show you how to brush or floss after the restoration.