How to Floss with Braces

Knowing how to floss your teeth and when you should floss is crucial for good health. Lean how to floss with braces, for good oral hygiene.

Braces can work wonders to correct teeth that are not in alignment. And while straight teeth can boost confidence and have cosmetic benefits, orthodontic treatment with braces also can improve overall dental, oral, and physical health, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).

Without treatment, orthodontic problems can make it difficult to bite and chew your food, interfering with eating and nutrition. A bad bite can also make teeth more difficult to clean, increasing the risk of cavities or gum disease, the ADA points out.

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Keeping teeth clean and your mouth healthy while wearing braces may sound difficult, but it simply involves using a few braces-specific strategies. Learning how to floss with braces — and how often you should floss — will protect your dental and oral health while your teeth are being straightened.

It’s information that’s not just for youngsters, either. Of course, it’s important to help your children with braces floss and to supervise teens with braces until they get the hang of how to floss with braces. However, more adults are wearing braces, or considering having their teeth straightened, than ever before. In fact, a survey from the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) found almost 30 percent of all patients with braces in the U.S. and Canada are adults.

Brushing your teeth and flossing regularly to clean between your teeth, whether you have braces or not, removes the sticky bacteria known as plaque that can lead to cavities. How often you floss depends on whether you have the time and opportunity to brush and floss after every meal — which is ideal. But whatever your schedule, the ADA recommends flossing your teeth at least once a day.

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