Flossing Woes and Questions

[amy]

I've had my braces (upper and lower) for about two weeks. I've started flossing in the past week as my teeth are finally calming down.

I'm threading the flossing through my brackets but it takes forever and the brackets usually shred my floss. Also, several of my teeth are so close together now that I can't get floss between them. Is that normal? I also have trouble getting to my back teeth around my molar bands.

Is there any faster or easier way to floss than by threading the floss through? Any gadget I don't know about but should look into?

[felicia]

I use either Crest Glide or Oral B Satin Floss. They don't shred.

[peach]

I also use crest glide floss. It doesn't shred and it has a hardened end on one side so u can thread it easily through the wire w/out having to get those plastic threaders. I also like using my waterpik to help remove any food that gets stuck in my braces.

[DrBlur]

^I use the Crest Glide threader floss, too...I've been flossing since day 1 (with soreness, sure) and though the first couple of days were rough, now I'm good at it. Keep at it, it gets easier

[UGHBRACES]

Buy some non shredding floss of your choice and keep on flossing every single day. You'll get the hang of it in no time.

[catgyrl]

Yes, you definitely need to practice to get the hang of it. I also use Crest Glide because my teeth are crowded and it's the only one that doesn't shred....

...until this week! I have a couple of very stubborn teeth that are moving, which is great, but they're moving closer to other teeth that they used to be far away from, which means I almost can't floss between them. The floss has shredded a few times, but I just get a new piece and start over. I just got a molar band and absolutely, positively, cannot get the floss between that and my last molar, so I don't. I figure once I'm wired all the way around, that tooth will move somewhat and it'll be easier.

You just need to be patient. It took me a week or so, but I finally have a system now: (1) Thread floss under wire towards the end of tooth; (2) pull through about halfway; (3) floss gum area well; (4) press finger lightly against floss at gumline; (5) pull out floss from the other end (so floss doesn't end up catching in the brackets). LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT...

Practice makes perfect. Have fun!

[Pattyb]

My first attempts at flossing literally took 20 minutes. You'll get the hang of it, eventually. Don't give up! I', down to about 5 minutes now. I use the threaders you get at the drugstore. They work for me. I tried the floss with the stiff ends but it shredded really bad for me.

[evilnel]

I use Oral B super floss, which works really well. It does tend to shred sometimes, but if you're careful you can un-snag it. I have two molar bands side by side and had the problem of not being able to get them through at first--you kind of just have to pop them in and if you can't get it back out by going up, just pull it out from between your teeth like you were sliding it along the gum line. There is usually more space at the gum line than the tops of the teeth. Or you can try threading it through the bottom to begin with. It is a pain in the ass, but you get better at it. I have my flossing down to 3-4 minutes now, which really isn't bad in the grand scheme of things.

[MerryKate]

I had a lot of problem with flossing at first, too, because my teeth were so tight. Seemed like the first few weeks I could hardly get regular floss between my teeth because it hurt so badly. I started using the flat, ribbon-type floss to get the job done, and using a flossing fish helps a lot. (See archwired's store - they're absolutely worth the price!) At this point I mostly use the flossing fish to get the back molars; the front ones go quickly.

And let me reassure you, your teeth will space out pretty quickly. I've had braces for 9 weeks and within the first 5 my tight spaces had opened up to where I could use threader floss. Just stick with it. One other thing that will help is getting a waterpik - it will toughen up your gums and let you clean out spaces you may not be able to get to with floss.

[Bellalalala]

I use floss threaders and non-shred, "glide" floss and I never have any problems

[Zulu Tip]

Is a waterpik a floss replacement or just a supplement? I went out a got a waterpik when I got the braces on after I attempted to floss, and determined that it was way too much work.

[UGHBRACES]

No a waterpik is not a replacement for floss.

[Zulu Tip]

No a waterpik is not a replacement for floss.

Thanks UGHBRACES. Glad I found that out early enough!! Things could have gotten pretty bad if I would have kept on with just the waterpik

[hal2me]

I also use Crest Glide because it does not cause shredding. My teeth were also very close together at first, but after a few weeks I was able to floss better as they had moved.

Practice makes perfect! The more you get used to flossing, the easier it will become. However, I am longing for the days when I can go back to regular dental floss!

Best of luck to you!

[braciefacie]

I used the normal Colgate ones when I had braces, used it with the plastic threader tool - worked like a charm.

When I first got braces, my cleaning routine each night took close to an hour (flossing being the most time consuming). But after a while, you get hang of things real quick and flossing will *hopefully* take a few minutes only.

It's probably also best to get a WaterPik to help get rid of hidden food particles etc in the teeth. Bare in mind that the WaterPik should be used in conjuction with brushing and flossing, and it is in no way a replacement for flossing.

All I can say is be diligent, you won't regret it when you get your braces off and the Ortho tells you have no cavities!