HOW TO USE A WATER FLOSSER WITH BRACES

article-woman-water-flosser

  • The Importance of Flossing with Braces
  • Best Floss and Water Flosser Options for Braces
  • How to Use a Water Flosser for Braces

When it comes to your oral health, it’s important to maintain a good oral hygiene routine that includes flossing at least once a day. Food particles, debris, and plaque buildup can get trapped between teeth and in hard-to-reach areas that a toothbrush may not be able to reach. For an optimal clean, especially if you have braces, add a water flosser to your daily routine to better reduce plaque buildup to help keep your gums healthy.

The Importance of Flossing with Braces

Braces are often composed of brackets and wires, giving food particles and plaque bacteria even more tight spaces in which to hide. As plaque accumulates on teeth and along the gum line it can lead to gum issues and tartar—something that only a dental professional can remove.

Best Floss and Water Flosser Options for Braces

When paired with twice daily brushing, flossing can help remove debris and plaque for cleaner teeth and healthier gums. Traditional floss like  Oral-B Glide Floss has a silky texture that slides easily between teeth while stimulating gums to help promote gum health. However, it may not be the most ideal flossing option for cleaning braces. Oral-B Super Floss comes equipped with three unique features that work together for cleaning braces, bridges and wide gaps between teeth. Learn more about how to brush teeth and floss with braces.

To further clean teeth and gums when wearing braces, adding a  water flosser to your routine can help remove even more trapped debris and reduce plaque buildup. Oral-B Water Flosser Advanced is expertly designed to deliver a powerful and effective clean for braces, bridges, implants, and crowns.

How to Use a Water Flosser for Braces

A water flosser, when used after brushing and traditional flossing, whether with an ortho-specific floss or regular string floss, can help wash away any leftover food and reduce plaque buildup in hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. The Oral-B Water Flosser Advanced features unique Oxyjet Technology that’s water enriched with microbubbles of air to clean deep and detoxify below the gum line*. Plus, its inspired design helps target and helps eliminate plaque bacteria for cleaner teeth and healthier gums.

Deep cleaning and detoxifying* while wearing braces with the Oral-B Water Flosser Advanced is easy, especially since its cordless design makes it both portable and easy to handle. Follow the steps below on  how to use a water flosser for braces:

  1. Fill the reservoir with lukewarm water.
  2. Set the intensity mode to personalize your clean – intense, medium, or sensitive.
  3. Using the nozzle, select your stream for an interdental clean that’s just right for you.
  4. Place the nozzle in your mouth.
  5. Use the on-demand mode for a more precise and mess-free clean while protecting dental work.
  6. Starting with your back molars, follow your gum line to clean tooth-by-tooth, holding the water stream over each tooth for approximately two seconds.

Be sure to follow a complete oral hygiene routine to ensure your mouth stays healthy as you straighten your teeth:

  • Brush at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste: Switch to an electric toothbrush like the top award-winning Oral-B iO to remove up to 100% more plaque than a manual. Or try the Oral-B Genius X paired with the Oral-B Ortho Brush Head**—it’s specially designed to clean around braces.
  • Floss at least once a day: Supplement Oral-B Super Floss with the Oral-B Water Flosser Advanced to wash away any remaining food particles and reduce plaque buildup.
  • Keep up with dental appointments: See your dental professional every 6 months for professional cleanings and checkups.
  • Use best mouthwash for braces

From Oral-B, the #1 dentist-recommended floss brand†.

*Helps reduce plaque bacteria and inflammatory components associated with gingivitis, when used as an adjunct to brushing, flossing and regular professional care.
**Compatible with all Oral-B handles except iO and Pulsonic.
†Based on surveys conducted between November 2018 and June 2020 and confirmed to be statistically significant at a 95% confidence level by Radius Illumination, September 25, 2020.

Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/waterpik-vs-flossing#waterpiks
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/w/water-flossers

!