01/16/2023
Neglecting to floss when you wear braces can damage your braces! In addition, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause tooth decay and tooth loss, leftover food particles that become trapped between braces and teeth can damage the bands and brackets that keep your braces intact.
👉 Cut an 18- to 24-inch piece of floss.
👉 Thread the floss between the main wire and your teeth. It helps to be in front of a mirror so you can watch the thread to make sure it’s going where you’d like it to.
👉 Wrap the ends of the floss around your index fingers to make handling the floss easier.
👉 Gently press the floss between the two teeth, and slide the floss up and down along the sides of both teeth. If you’re doing the top teeth, make an upside-down U shape: Go up the side of one tooth to the gumline, and then go down the side of the other tooth.
👉 Remove the floss, and gently unthread it from behind the wire. Be careful to not pop the floss out of the tooth. You might accidentally knock the wire and pop it out of the bracket.
👉 Move to the next pair of teeth, and repeat the process.
