Metal Mouth Message Board

I've had braces (uppers only at this point) for 2 days now...I'm curious about flossing. I've got several kinds of floss and floss threaders but - my teeth are so sore it really hurts to floss. I've got a Water Pik and have been using that instead of flossing. I asked the orthodontist if a water pik was an ok substitute for flossing and they couldn't tell me. Anyone have any experience or thoughts?

From what I've heard, I don't think dentists recommend the waterpik as a full-on substitute for flossing. I hear it doesn't do well getting plaque off your teeth because plaque is so sticky. It needs to literally be scraped off. (But in my own experience, the waterpik is great for flushing out food that hides in and around the brackets, so I do love mine very much!)

I also know how painful it can be to pull the floss through when your teeth are sore! What I did [and still do!] is floss once a day, but when I have a lot of trouble pulling it between certain teeth, I'll just skip that specific area and try it again the next day. Your teeth will be shifting around a lot--especially in the beginning--so it probably won't be long until your teeth are positioned in a way to get the floss through easily, or at least less-painfully. So still try as best you can. It's very important to keep your teeth as clean as possible while braces are adhered, to avoid problems later on in your treatment!

Good luck! And congrats on being newly-braced!

If your teeth are to tender to floss, then it won't hurt to wait a few more days or so before you start flossing.

You might also be having trouble due to excess bonding/cement that might have crept into some of the spaces between your teeth. Give it some time and don't be surprised if you suddenly get a chunk of unknown hard substance floating around your mouth. As far as floss choice goes, I swear by the Crest Glide Floss Threaders: each one comes individually wrapped and works great, once you can tolerate flossing. Good luck!

A waterpik is not a substitute for floss, but it's a great addition to a good oral hygiene program.

I didn't floss for a few days after my braces first went on. It just hurt too much. So you can use your waterpik to remove the excess food particles and stimulate your gums. But after a few days, you should begin flossing. Floss every night before you go to sleep. You can use regular floss with a plastic floss threader needle, or get some Glide Threader Floss, Thornton Floss, SuperFloss, SturdyFloss, etc....they make it much easier.

After getting braces, or the few days after a wire change I just can't stand flossing, so I skip it until my teeth are not so sore. I don't really think it's a big deal as long as you do your best to keep the braces and teeth clean and you start flossing once the pain is gone.

Thanks everyone for the quick responses and suggestions! I figured the WaterPik wasn't a substitute for flossing. The good news is the soreness has eased up and I've been able to floss for the last couple days. It also helps that my teeth are moving some and there are some bigger spaces between them than there used to be.

The WaterPik is a life saver for cleaning after meals - especially under/around my Nance appliance.

THanks again!

Hi, I have had braces for 7 weeks now and initially flossing was terribly painful, now that I have more space, it has become a breeze. Just give it a bit of time and do the best you can. Good luck

I've been lurking here about the entire time I've had braces, which is a few months shy of two years now, and I haven't flossed. I waterpik nearly everytime I eat, and also when I haven't eaten. I did try flossing at the beginning but just couldn't stand it. My hygienist and orthodontist have both commended me on my cleaning, and of course I did not tell them that I haven't flossed. I'm not suggesting that anyone do what I did, I just wanted to get my two cents in, and at the same time confess. I do not expect any ill effects, and my girlfriend neither flossed or waterpik'd when she had her braces as a teenager and she turned out fine. All that said, I definitely agree with the posts above and I can't wait to finally floss brace free when I get these taken off, which won't be long now.