How to Floss With Braces: Methods, Tips, and More

Why Flossing With Braces Is Important

Braces create tiny nooks and crannies in and around teeth where food particles and plaque can hide. Brushing often misses these spots. Flossing helps remove debris and plaque between your teeth and around your brackets. It cleans areas where brushing alone misses and reduces the risk of gum disease and cavities.

Flossing Methods That Work

Floss Threader

A flexible, needle-like tool that helps pull regular floss under your brace’s archwire. They are effective, simplify the flossing process, and are good for those who prefer traditional flossing. They also happen to be inexpensive and easily available.

How to use

• Cut a piece of waxed floss about 18-24 inches long
• Thread the floss through the loop of the floss threader
• Insert the threader under your wire and pull the floss through
• Wrap the floss around your fingers for control
• Gently slide the floss between your teeth, moving it up and down along the sides of each tooth
• Repeat for each tooth, rethreading as needed

Orthodontic Flossers

Pre-threaded flossers designed for braces are compact and easy to use. They often come with a stiff end to help guide the floss under the wire. Orthodontic flossers are ideal for quick teeth cleaning during the day.

How to use:

• Place the stiff end of the flosser under the wire
• Gently slide the floss between your teeth
• Move the floss up and down along the sides of each tooth
• Throw the flosser out after using

Water Flosser

This device uses a stream of pulsating water to wash away food particles and loosely-adherent plaque from between teeth and around brackets. It’s gentle on gums and is especially effective at cleaning hard-to-reach areas.

How to use:

• Fill the water flosser reservoir with warm water
• Select the appropriate pressure setting
• Lean over the sink and place the tip in your mouth
• Turn on the device
• Move the tip along the gumline and between your teeth
• Spit out the water as you go

Interdental Brushes

These are small, cone-shaped brushes that fit between your teeth and around your braces. They’re good for removing food particles and plaque from hard-to-reach areas. They are a good supplement to flossing, especially for cleaning around brackets and wires.

How to use:

• Choose a brush size that fits comfortably between your teeth
• Insert the brush between your teeth and gently move it back and forth
• Rinse the brush after each use

Traditional Floss and Dental Tape

Traditional flossing is effective but requires patience and precision when you have braces. Waxed floss slides more easily between teeth and is less likely to fray. Dental tape is wider and softer than floss and is a good option if you have sensitive gums or find traditional floss uncomfortable. It’s both gentle on the gums and effective at removing plaque.

How to use:

• Cut an 18- to 24-inch piece of floss or tape
• Thread the floss between the main wire and your teeth
• Do in front of a mirror so you can watch the thread to make sure it’s going where you intend it to
• Wrap the ends of the floss around your index fingers to make it easier to handle and control
• Gently press the floss between the two teeth, and slide the floss up and down along the sides of both teeth
• For the top teeth, make an upside-down U shape: Go up the side of one tooth to the gumline, and then go down the side of the other tooth
• Remove the floss, and gently unthread it from behind the wire
• Be careful to not pop the floss out of the tooth. You could accidentally knock the wire and pop it out of the bracket
• Move to the next pair of teeth and repeat the process

Tips to Make Flossing Easier and More Effective

• Use Waxed Floss: it glides more smoothly between teeth and is less likely to fray
• Floss Before Brushing: Doing this first removes debris, which allows your toothbrush to clean more effectively afterward
• Be Gentle: Avoid snapping the floss between your teeth. Gently guide it to prevent damaging your gums
• Stay Consistent: Try to floss at least once a day, preferably before bed to remove the buildup from the day
• Schedule Regular Cleanings: Keep up with dental checkups and professional cleanings every six months, to help maintain oral health and catch any issues early before they become problems

Summary

Flossing with braces can seem tricky, but it's essential to maintain oral health, prevent plaque buildup, gum disease, and cavities around your brackets. That’s why keeping your teeth clean during orthodontic treatments is vitally important.

While the process may seem challenging at first, with the right techniques and tools, it becomes a manageable part of your daily routine. There are a number of flossing methods to effectively clean teeth around braces, including using traditional waxed floss and floss threaders. For people with sensitive gums, dental tape and water flossers are good options. They are an easy method for cleaning around braces and are gentle on the gums.

Consistency and proper technique are crucial for maintaining oral health while wearing braces. This is no time to slack on your regular oral hygiene routine. Keep up brushing twice a day and flossing every day, preferably at night. Also, schedule regular cleanings to maintain oral health. Your dentist or dental hygienist can catch any issues before they become problems.

Braces: Support for Your Oral Health as You Straighten

Braces help straighten your smile and correct misalignment, but brackets and wires can also create new areas for plaque to hide—making your smile more vulnerable to staining, tooth decay, and gum disease. A thorough oral care routine can help keep your mouth healthy to ensure you get the most out of your treatment while preventing oral health issues down the road.

When wearing braces be sure to:

• Brush 2X/day with an Oral-B iO Electric Toothbrush: It can be tough to clean around brackets and wires, allowing more opportunities for food particles and plaque to accumulate. Brush twice daily with an electric toothbrush to remove up to 100% more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush for healthier teeth and gums.
• Pair It with an Oral-B iO Gentle Care Replacement Brush Head: Braces can leave your smile feeling sore and sensitive. iO Gentle Care Brush Heads feature high-density dentist-inspired extra soft bristles in an optimized pattern to better adapt to teeth and gums while delivering a gentle clean.
• Protect Your Smile with Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste: Brush twice daily with a Crest stannous fluoride toothpaste to help prevent cavities, reverse early gum disease, and keep your smile strong and bright.
• Amp Up Your Flossing Routine with Oral-B Water Flosser Advanced: When paired with traditional string floss, a water flosser can help remove even more food debris and plaque from hard-to-reach areas to help boost your gum care. Oral-B Water Flosser Advanced features customizable intensities so you can more easily wash away leftover particles from brackets and wires with the
• Rinse with Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash: Round out your brushing and flossing routine with an antibacterial mouthwash to rinse away leftover plaque and support gum health.
• Maintain a Balanced Diet: Foods high in sugars can increase plaque buildup, especially when wearing braces. Opt for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to help limit plaque bacteria and keep your smile healthy.
• Visit Your Dental Professional Regularly: Keep up regular with orthodontic visits to keep braces properly adjusted. Additionally, it’s important to go in for professional cleanings and checkups at least twice a year to better monitor your oral health.

Following a complete oral care routine while wearing braces can help keep your teeth and gums healthy, so when those brackets and wires do come off, you can confidently reveal your newly straightened, strong, bright smile.