Why Use a Floss Threader When You Wear Braces?

Your oral hygiene routine becomes more important when you wear orthodontic braces. You have to take extra care of your teeth to compensate for the fact that your braces cover parts of them. You also have to find ways to work around your braces to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

If you find it hard to floss effectively around your braces, then it might be worth using a floss threader. How do these devices work and what are their benefits?

What Is a Floss Threader?

Floss threaders are flexible but firm string-like devices. They have a loop at the top and a thread hanging below.

To use a threader, you put some floss through the loop. This is like threading a needle. The loop acts like a needle's eye and the floss acts like its thread.

You then put the bottom end of the threader up behind your brace wire on the area you want to floss. As you pull the threader up, it passes behind your brace wire taking your piece of floss with it. Once the threader gets beyond the wire, your floss is in the right position to use.

What Are the Advantages of Using a Floss Threader?

Your braces will make flossing difficult. While you can start flossing between two teeth, you won't be able to get your floss all the way up or down the gap. Once the floss reaches your brace wire, it won't go any further.

You shouldn't force floss past this point. It will move your brace wires out of position. In some cases, it might even break the wire.

These wires do a lot of your orthodontic work. If they aren't in the right places, then you affect your treatment. If you break a wire, then you'll have to go back to your orthodontist to have another one fitted.

So, while you can floss up to the point your floss reaches your brace wire, you won't be able to go any further. You won't effectively clean all of the gaps between all of your teeth.

A floss threader allows you to floss right through all of a gap without affecting your brace wires. You use the threader to bypass the wire safely so that you can floss in areas it makes inaccessible.

So, you'll get a more effective floss. You'll be able to remove food particles and plaque between your teeth. You'll stay on top of your oral hygiene routine.

To find out more about floss threaders and how they work, talk to your orthodontist.