Even though it’s a little more difficult, flossing with braces keeps your smile healthy and confident. Dr. Norma Chou wants to make sure that all of her patients with braces know how to floss with their individual ortho devices. Here are some tools to help you floss while you are wearing braces:
Floss Threaders work like a needle threader for sewing. You put the floss through a loop at the top and then thread the pointy part under or over the wire (depending on whether you’re flossing upper or lower teeth). Once threaded, you can floss that space like normal. Then just repeat for each space until you’ve got a clean, plaque-free mouth.
Floss Fish are small devices shaped like a long-nosed fish. You thread the floss through a hole in the “nose” of the fish and wrap one end around its “tail”. Then you stand the fish vertically nose up and push it under the wire between the teeth for the upper teeth and nose down for the lower teeth. You use your finger or thumb to push the floss between the teeth. They are actually easier to use than the threaders.
Proxy Brushes are lifesavers for cleaning teeth with braces. These are tiny little cone-shaped brushes that fit under the wire and between the teeth to remove buildup.
WaterPiks and Air Flossers are the fanciest flossers for braces. You simply point the flosser tip between your teeth and along the gum line, and it sprays high-pressure water into the spaces between your teeth, removing hard to reach buildup.
If you just can’t do it you are welcome to stop by Dr. Chou’s office in Toronto, and we’ll show you how to floss with braces quickly and efficiently. And as always, if you have any questions or concerns Dr. Chou is your person to help! She can be reached at 416-532-3041. Keep smiling!