At Harner Orthodontics, our mission is to help patients throughout Huntington Beach, CA and the surrounding areas achieve beautiful, healthy smiles through comprehensive orthodontic treatment. But in addition to providing treatments like braces and Invisalign, we work hard to be a comprehensive resource on every step of the orthodontic treatment process. Oral hygiene is one of the most important parts of achieving a new smile, and if you're undergoing treatment with braces, you'll have to make some changes to your oral hygiene regimen – especially when it comes to flossing.
Flossing with Braces: What You Need to Know
Flossing is one of the things that changes most when you get braces, because as you might have suspected, your metal archwire presents a fundamental challenge to proper flossing. But don't worry, flossing your teeth with braces is entirely possible. It just takes a different approach.
To get started, you'll need some regular dental floss and a device called a floss threader. Essentially, a floss threader is a small plastic loop that has one long, straight end, almost like a loose needle made from plastic string. To use it, what you'll do is take a piece of floss and thread it through the "eye" of the loop. Then, thread the long end of the loop underneath your archwire and pull it through such that it runs the floss underneath the archwire, as well. With the floss threaded under the archwire, you can floss those teeth normally. Simply repeat this process for each set of teeth to fully floss your teeth with braces.
Contact Your Huntington Beach, CA Orthodontist
Flossing with braces requires more time consuming than normal, but considering that your teeth are even more vulnerable to decay during orthodontic treatment, it's well worth the extra effort. And if you have more questions about flossing with braces or are interested in getting braces yourself, we're always here to help! Contact us today to learn more about flossing with braces and orthodontic treatment in general. We can't wait to hear from you!