Best Flossing Technique for Invisible Aligners

Table of contents

1. How Does Flossing Maintain Good Oral Health?
   1. Benefits of Flossing
2. How to Floss Correctly
   1. Regular Flossing
   2. Flossing With Clear Aligners
3. Flossing with Clear Aligners Versus Normal Braces
4. Alignerco Aligners
   1. How Does it Work?
   2. Benefits

Maintaining good oral health is beneficial to overall well-being and includes a proper flossing technique. When your mouth is healthy, you can chew food better, smile, and speak confidently. A healthy smile benefits your physical, social, and emotional well-being. It's not something that should be neglected. Oral disease is preventable. Chronic infections like gum disease can evolve into serious health issues. Sadly, tender, bleeding gums are quickly dismissed. Your best defense begins with good oral hygiene.

How Does Flossing Maintain Good Oral Health?

Flossing allows you to reach bacteria between tight spaces in the teeth and by the gums. These are areas that your toothbrush cannot reach and where bacteria can grow. The more plaque that remains on the tooth's enamel elevates the risk for cavities.

Benefits of Flossing

Regularly flossing between meals removes food particles between teeth and reduces plaque build-up. It prevents cavities from forming and lowers the incidence of tooth decay. Regular flossing also eliminates bad breath. Food decays when it is trapped between teeth. It begins to erode tooth enamel causing cavities, gum disease and is responsible for bad breath. Flossing also can promote heart health. A 2019 study discovered that participants with excellent oral hygiene experienced a decreased risk for developing heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Also, the Canadian Academy of Periodontology notes the relationship between oral health and inflammation of the heart.

How to Floss Correctly

Flossing is more than just gliding floss between the teeth. It needs to be done properly so left-over debris from food can be effectively removed. If anything is left behind, this creates an opportunity for bacteria to grow. This can lead to several types of oral disease if untreated.

Regular Flossing

The best flossing technique involves the following steps:

1. Use 18 inches (45.72 cm) of dental floss when flossing your teeth.
2. On one hand, wind most of the floss around the middle finger. The remaining amount should be wound on the middle finger of the other hand.
3. Floss should be gripped tightly between the forefingers and thumbs.
4. Glide floss gently between the teeth with a rubbing motion. The side of each tooth should be rubbed up and down with floss. Avoid snapping floss into the gum line.
5. When you reach the gum line, curve floss against one tool in a c shape.
6. Unwind with fresh floss as you do each tooth to keep it clean, and to avoid jamming food particles into the gums.

If flossing using this method is difficult, use an interdental cleaner. These are tools such as a pre-threaded flosser, dental pick, small brushes that reach between teeth, silicone plaque removers, or a water flosser.

Flossing With Clear Aligners

Flossing with clear aligners is important as they need to be removed prior to eating. Much like regular braces, food still gets stuck between teeth. Brushing and flossing should be done prior to placing the clear aligner back in the mouth. To skip this step may allow food particles to be trapped against the gums and permit the growth of bacteria. To floss with a clean aligner, incorporate the following techniques:

1. Choose floss that glides easily over the teeth such as plain, ribbon, and waxed.
2. Follow the steps outlined in the previous section.
3. Rinse the clear aligner and place it back in your mouth.

Since invisible aligners are removable trays that resemble a retainer, there are no wires to contend with when flossing. Therefore, individuals can floss as they normally would.

Flossing with Clear Aligners Versus Normal Braces

Flossing with clear aligners is easier over braces. As mentioned, invisible aligners look like retainers, so they are removed while eating. There are no wires to maneuver around. Food particles don't get left behind when flossing as you have full access to the tooth. Flossing with clear aligners is the same as regular flossing. Therefore, the time it takes to floss the teeth is two to three minutes. Traditional braces require 10-15 minutes of flossing because it needs to be done around the wire and brackets. This takes time to develop a proper technique. You will also require waxed floss. Unwaxed floss has the potential to become stuck in the braces and tear. There are more efficient methods to use. Water picks with tapered tips can get around the braces. However, you need to be sure you are removing the debris from between the teeth properly. A water pick may not remove all the plaque from your teeth, so regular dental floss is recommended for proper hygiene.

Alignerco Aligners

Our clear aligners straighten your teeth without using the wire and brackets of traditional braces. They look like a clear retainer and fit right in your mouth. No one will know that you are wearing braces, so you can smile with confidence!

How Does it Work?

Our aligners contain a series of clear aligners that go over the teeth. Precise force is applied with each aligner to properly correct the tooth position. Treatments last four to six months, and each set is worn for ten days. The sets need to be worn a total of 20-22 hours per day to be effective. Not doing so will delay the process. We first get you to provide a dental impression at home and return them to our team of professionals. Your treatment plan is customized and mapped out. Then, we send you your clear aligner. Aligners can be worn during the day, or at night while sleeping.

Benefits

• BPA-free (safe for pregnancy)
• The clearest quality
• Affordable
• Snug/comfortable fit- they are handcrafted, customized, and trimmed to the gum line.

Clear aligners provide a great option over traditional braces when straightening teeth. You can smile with confidence without anyone knowing you're wearing braces. For a healthy smile in a fraction of the time, clear aligners provide the best choice. You can choose when you want to wear them, oral hygiene is easier, budget-friendly, and teeth are straightened within a fraction of the time.