Metal Mouth Message Board

Anyone??

I haven't worn braces for years but I just used the unwaxed floss and it was terrible.
Waxed floss is a lot easier to use. The other kind rips easily.

The most important thing when it comes to flossing, is to just floss!

How in the world do you floss around wired braces? Invisalign, obviously, you just remove the aligners, but I can't begin to imagine how to get floss up under the gum line with traditional brackets & wires. What am I missing? (Note: I don't have braces yet but will be getting them soon; that's why I am clueless!)

Thanks!

You thread the floss under the wire and then floss as normal.

I use the same (unwaxed) floss that I used before getting braces: Oral B glide floss. I don't know which is actually better, but I hate the feeling of waxed floss.

I prefer waxed. The other stuff gets caught in things and rips too easily.

Mpkh wrote:You thread the floss under the wire and then floss as normal.

Thanks! I am sure once I try I'll figure it out -- if I get wired braces, that is.

EmilyTravels wrote:

Mpkh wrote:You thread the floss under the wire and then floss as normal.

Thanks! I am sure once I try I'll figure it out -- if I get wired braces, that is.

Flossing is terrible with braces, it takes a lot of time and I only have my top in. I'm sure I'll get better.

I also do the threading, but the unwaxed floss is harder to floss with then the waxed that's why I wanted to know if it was ok to just go to waxed instead of unwaxed.

I got my braces yesterday. Tried flossing tonight and I can't get the floss through most of my teeth, some because i can't get the floss through the wire to get to the teeth. I have a dentist appt tomorrow. Maybe they can help or make suggestions. I hate the way my teeth feel after flossing :(

You can use floss threaders, which I tried. They work, but take a long time. I have had better luck with P L A T Y P U S flossers for braces, which fit right under the wires and allow me to floss quickly. They weren't all that cheap (I ordered online from the "big A"), but to me the time savings over threaders is well worth the cost.

I didn't floss at all for three years -- used interdental brushes dipped in Listerine, which worked fine.

Wow I couldn't fathom Not flossing for 3 years!

Has to be waxed. Spaces are tight. That pre threaded junk is terrible and just gets caught everywhere.

I reused the same threader at least a dozen times each time with clean waxed mint floss.