Working with an orthodontist helps you get the smile of your dreams. While you have braces, keeping your teeth clean requires special care, especially when it comes to flossing. Here’s a helpful guide on how to reach the spaces between wires and brackets.

How to Clean Your Teeth With Braces

1. Buy Waxed Floss

Unwaxed floss tends to stick to the brackets of braces and fray, leaving bits of string stuck to the teeth. Wax acts as a lubricant, allowing the string to glide between the spaces without getting caught. Use an 18-inch piece of string each time you floss.

2. Thread the Floss

Flossing with braces is challenging because you have to insert the string between the wires to get between each tooth. Floss threaders make this task easier.

Simply pull a string of floss through the hole in the threader, then slip the device under the wire of your braces. Gently hug the string around each tooth in a C shape to access the gum line and remove plaque. Hug brackets from the top in a U shape to clean around them.

3. Switch to a Water Flosser

Also known as waterpicks, these devices shoot thin but powerful streams of water into the gaps between wires and brackets. Studies show they may be up to 29% more effective at cleaning between the teeth and below the gum line.

Some models include tapered orthodontic attachments that let you reach tight spaces and the back of the mouth. There are also varieties with brushes you can use around brackets.

4. Use Proxy Brushes

Small and flexible, these interdental cleaners have tapered bristles that allow you to fit them into the small spaces between brackets and wires. After you brush your teeth, use a proxy brush to dislodge food residue as you’d do with floss. Follow with floss or an oral irrigator for the maximum benefits.

Keep your teeth clean and cavity-free while you have braces with regular appointments with Magnolia Dental. These dentists and orthodontists provide teeth cleanings, exams, and family dental care to clients throughout Waynesboro, VA. Dr. Richard Miller has over 25 years of experience with adult and child orthodontics. Call (540) 943-2723 to schedule an appointment, or visit their website to learn more about cosmetic dentistry.