When wearing braces, proper dental hygiene is crucial. Flossing is an important part of your oral care routine, but with braces, you may have found that flossing can be difficult. At King Orthodontics, we’ve put together some tips and tricks to help you floss effectively and keep cavities and plaque at bay!

Regular Dental Floss Tips
When flossing with regular dental floss, be sure to use waxed floss. There is a lot of metal that the floss can get stuck on, so be sure to be careful and use waxed dental floss. Here are some steps you can take to successfully floss with regular dental floss:Tips and Tricks for Flossing With Braces
  • Using about 12 to 18 inches of dental floss, go gently behind the brace wire.
  • Be sure to avoid pulling on the brae wire.
  • Floss between your teeth like normal. Keep in mind that some teeth may be tight.
  • You should slide the floss up and down between each tooth to help work out the plaque.
  • Remove the floss by unthreading it gently from behind the wire of your braces.
  • Avoid popping out the floss from between your teeth. This could pop your wire out of the bracket.
Floss Threader Tips
Another way to floss your teeth with braces is to use a floss threader. A floss threader is a small plastic tool that is used to help you get behind your teeth when flossing without scraping your fingers. To use a floss threader with your braces, follow these steps:
  • Take 18 to 24 inches of waxed floss and thread it through the floss threader’s eye.
  • Place the plastic needlepoint underneath the wire of your braces and pull the floss through the wire.
  • Hold the floss threader in one hand and wrap the floss around the index finger of the other hand.
  • Gently press the floss between your teeth, sliding it up and down the sides of the teeth.
  • Gently pull, don’t pop, the floss out from between your teeth and from behind the wire.
  • Repeat for the next set of teeth.
Water Flosser Tips
Water flossers can be fitted with a special orthodontic tip that is designed to remove bacteria and food particles from between your braces and your teeth. They use a steady stream of water to clean between your teeth and along your gumline. This eliminates the need to thread the floss between your brackets and provides a thorough and efficient clean. To use a water flosser, follow these tips:
  • Fill up the water flosser’s tank.
  • Put the orthodontic tip on the flosser. Press the button to stream the water and make sure the pressure Is adequate for cleaning.
  • Place the tips of the flosser in your mouth and turn on the flosser.
  • Close your lips to keep the water from flowing out of your mouth.
  • Move the stream of water between the tooth and your gum line.
  • Spray the water along the gumline and between your teeth again, and repeat this process on the back and front of each of your teeth.
  • If it is difficult to remove food particles, give your teeth and brackets a gentle brush and try again.
  • When finished, empty the water reservoir, and dry the tip of the flosser.
Schedule Your Braces Appointment Today!
If you have questions about caring for your braces, or you are ready to begin your journey with braces, contact King Orthodontics today!