Monday, February 8, 2010

How to Floss Your Teeth in Orthodontic Braces

Tijuana Cosmetic Dentist

When you get braces, your orthodontist will tell you to floss your teeth at least once per day. But that is not an easy task. Fortunately there are many products on the market that make it a lot easier.
To floss your teeth in braces, you need to fit the floss underneath the arch wire, floss your teeth, then pull the floss out and insert it underneath the arch wire at the next bracket. This can take a lot of time at first and be extremely frustrating. Don't worry, it gets easier and faster as you practice more. No matter what, do not stop flossing your teeth! Often pieces of food can hide near brackets and brushing and rinsing won't remove them -- only flossing will remove them. It's important to floss daily to prevent gum disease and tooth decay.
BridgeAid Floss Threader
BridgeAid Floss Threaders are large flexible plastic "needles" that help you thread the floss through your brackets. Tie the floss to the needle (or just thread through a large amount). Then thread the needle beneath the brackets. Plastic floss threaders are usually the best products to use for braces, but some people find them inconvenient.
Crest Glide Threader Floss
Crest Glide Threader Floss is a length of slippery Glide floss with a stiff end for threading under and around orthodontic brackets. If you have tight spaces between your teeth, this is a great product to use. However, the stiff end of the floss is rather flimsy and some people find it frustrating to use for that reason.
SturdyFloss
SturdyFloss was invented recently by a dental hygienist. It is a length of regular unwaxed floss with a stiff waxed end. The nice thing about this floss is that you can bend the stiff end and re-shape it as you need. It stays in the new position until you re-shape it. It has one of the best stiff threaders of any of the floss on the market, although it tends to shred a little bit, so you may need to use more than one strand each time you floss. Nevertheless, it's a good and durable product.
Thornton 3-in-1 Floss and SuperFloss
Thornton 3-in-1 Floss and SuperFloss are similar because they were both invented by the same company. Both of these products have a thin plastic threader attached to a length of floss, but there is also a thick spongy piece of floss. This type of floss is great if you have big spaces between your teeth and regular floss won't work well. It's also good for people who want something that is a cross between an interproximal brush and a piece of floss. Not everyone can use this type of floss because of the thick part, but it does work very well.
FlossFish Tool
FlossFish was invented by an orthodontic patient. It's a little plastic fish-shaped device that you can use to help you floss. The instructions for this product show that you put any type of floss you like on the device, wrap it around a certain way, and then guide it beneath the wires on your braces. Once you get the hang of it, it works pretty well. It's a nice alternative to the other floss threaders on the market.
FlossPopper
Some dental offices carry a product called the Flosspopper. This is a very interesting product but people seem to have limited success in using it, because it is difficult to use properly. However, if you follow the instructions carefully you may get the hang of it after some trial and error.
The products mentioned in this article are available at DentaKit.com, at http://www.dentakit.com
DentaKit carries a wide variety of orthodontic supplies for braces, including dental wax and ortho-sil (also available in bulk), braces lip protectors, orthodontic toothbrushes for braces, dental kits for braces, floss threaders, retainer cleaners such as Retainer Brite and SonicBrite, retainer cases, and books about braces and retainers. They offer free shipping with a minimum purchase, which makes it easy to stock up on your braces supplies.

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