If you’re looking to get that captivating smile you’ve always wanted, going for orthodontic treatment with braces is the most effective and straightforward way to achieve that goal.
Its proven track record in fixing people’s teeth helps you attain the first requirement of a bedazzling smile: perfectly straight teeth.
To maximise the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment with braces, whether it’s with ceramic or Invisalign braces in Singapore, you need to adopt some new habits, particularly in your dental care.
Besides brushing at least twice a day, your new dental routine should include flossing your teeth. After all, it’s one of the most important ways to remove plaque and debris between your teeth and keep your teeth and gums healthy. Here are some tips on making flossing easier for you.
1. Use the right traditional flossing tools
Using traditional dental floss with a unique tool called a dental floss threader is one of the most effective and affordable ways to floss teeth with braces. A floss threader is a tiny flexible plastic stick with a large eyelet, resembling a large sewing needle with a big eye.
When choosing dental floss, a waxed version is recommended if your teeth are tightly bound together, such that unwaxed floss would be difficult to pass through. If you are inexperienced in flossing, unwaxed floss may shred when rubbed against the wires and brackets of braces, while the waxed ones smoothly glide over them because of their natural lubricating property. Moreover, depending on the added flavours, the floss can also keep your breath fresh.
If you ever have trouble manoeuvring traditional dental floss beneath the archwire of your braces, using these floss threaders can make the task far more straightforward.
2. Try out orthodontic flossers
If you’re fond of using floss picks, those short strings of dental floss attached to the forked ends of tiny plastic handles, you’ll be glad to know that they have a similar counterpart best suited for orthodontic brace wearers called orthodontic flossers.
Unlike traditional floss picks, which feature wide handles that are difficult to manoeuvre around archwires, orthodontic ones come with narrow handles that easily slide right under them.
Most braces wearers find these specialised floss picks easier to use as they make flossing more convenient and quicker.
3. Consider trying interdental cleaners
If you’re not fond of traditional dental floss, you could try out interdental cleaners instead. Available in many different types, these cleaners comprise thin and flexible wires with short bristles attached, like a bottle brush.
Using them is very simple － all you have to do is slide them in between your teeth and beneath the gum line to remove bacteria and plaque.
Since these brushes are available in various diameters best suited for different cleaning tasks, choose one with the tiniest diameter to prevent damaging your gums and teeth. Wider diameter ones are only for people with receded gums.
4. Invest in a water flosser
If you don’t like having to constantly get more floss due to them being a one-time use, a more permanent solution in the form of a water flosser may be what you need. Water flossers are dental cleaning devices that project thin streams of water that you can direct on and between your teeth.
They are effective at removing food particles between your teeth and under your archwire, but with the added benefit of being reusable due to their rechargeable feature.
Moreover, some models even come with specialised orthodontic tips that can clean around the wires and brackets of braces without damaging them.
5. Being consistent
No matter what type of flossing technique you use, consistency is one of the key factors for healthier teeth. Make it a habit to either floss after every meal or, at the very least, floss once every night before you head to bed.
If you are not consistent with it, food particles can get stuck in between your teeth for days, and it could lead to a gum infection, causing some pain. This would make your gums swell and bleed.
Conclusion
Even without braces, flossing is highly recommended, and regular brushing keeps your oral health in the best shape.
Completing the task may be more difficult when you’re just starting after getting braces put on. Thankfully, getting it done with these tips and specialised flossing tools for orthodontic brace wearers has become much more accessible than ever.
BigSmile Dental provides an array of orthodontic treatments including ceramic braces and teeth whitening in Singapore to aid you in obtaining your dream smile. To learn more about our services, and to answer questions such as the cost of braces in Singapore, contact us to book an appointment today.