Metal Mouth Message Board

Hello all. I was told i would need a lingual retainer (from what i understand, it is a wire attached to the interior surface of several teeth) however, i was wondering how flossing can be done while wearing it... It's already hard and time consuming to floss by having to manuever the floss inside the archwire on each pair of teeth, but having to do that from the inside sounds insane. any comments?

I can't comment exactly but I have a lingual brace fitted at the moment & I can floss but not as good obviously.

I just floss as I would without a brace, no need to thread it under the wire or anything. I manage to get under the gum but not as much as without the brace. A couple of teeth are a little awkward due to the position they are in at the moment.

I too will be having a lingual retainer fitted after treatment.
I think it will be slightly easier to floss with a lingual retainer than a lingual brace. Also the wire might be placed slightly higher which may make a difference.

Can't comment on the lowers though as I only have it fitted on my uppers. Would think the lowers would be the same.

Hi. I had a lingual brace and couldn't floss during that time. I used interdental brushes, which were a godsend, but not as good as flossing. When I got the braces taken off I got permanent retainers top and bottom on the inside of my front 6 teeth. But it's easy to floss with them. For my molars I use regular floss, but for the teeth with the retainers I use a floss which has a wax end. You just push the waxed end through the teeth and floss as normal. Works just fine.

Yes you can floss with a lingual retainer. You floss like you normally would above the wire. Then when you want to floss below the wire, you use floss with a stiffened tip and press it in at the gumline, pull it through and floss away.

This vid shows how:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aox2MwH2hzA

I have an upper lingual retainer. I floss using a floss threader that's made for dental bridges, by kind of threading the floss in between my teeth at the gumline. It's not difficult or painful, but I to me it doesn't seem to be as effective as flossing teeth that aren't bonded to a retainer, because it's more difficult to maneuver the floss with a wire in the way. So, I bought a Waterpik and use that as a supplement, and have been pretty successful at keeping the area clean and plaque-free.

I will also be getting a lingual retainer on my bottom. In a few days actually

I always hear people talking trash about them how they are so hard to clean and whatnot. But I kind of feel like using a waterpik would get the job done pretty well. And since I've been using one for this whole time in braces (which has worked very well IMO), I'm used to it and it shouldn't be a problem being that it's now part of my daily routine. I almost feel like using the pik and passing my electric toothbrush back there will be better than flossing in that area...

I am going to be having a bonded retainer on the lowers too (lingual retainer), and I can see it being a pain when it comes to flossing, but I am sure I'll work something out. I remember feeling like it was impossible to floss properly when I first got my braces on... to the point where I would tear up out of pure frustration, but now it's 'easy'.

During my time on Brace forums I've seen alot of people say that their Dentist has said a Waterpik can be used instead of flossing etc - But what about cleaning just below the gum line? Flossing is used to remove the bacteria below the gum line, not just between the teeth. I personally don't think a waterpik should replace flossing - I would use a waterpik along with flossing. But bonded retainer or no bonded retainer... flossing is going to continue being in my routine - it's so important for gum health.

I realise flossing is going to be that bit more difficult because the bonded retainer/wire is actually stuck to the teeth, where as an archwire is a few mm's away from the teeth. So like others have said, I'll invest in a stiffened end type of floss (or floss threaders) and thread the floss between the teeth and the gum line.

Chrystal wrote: But what about cleaning just below the gum line? Flossing is used to remove the bacteria below the gum line, not just between the teeth.

That's why I was taught to press and angle the pik against my gums and move along like that. When I first started doing it, I was bleeding like crazy and it hurt. But now a year later, it doesn't hurt and I very rarely bleed. And my dentist told me my teeth/gums are looking perfect and I'm doing a great job.

That's just me though. Everyone is different I'm sure....

I have a lower lingual retainer after having braces as a teenager. Floss threaders have always worked well for me.