If you’re the kind of person who thinks threaders are a thing of the past, we have some news for you: they aren’t. They’re still going strong and are more popular than ever! In fact, it’s estimated that more than 50% of people use dental floss threaders with braces.
Dental floss threaders (also called floss sticks) are simple tools that allow you to string dental floss directly through your braces without having to wrap it around them first. These little devices can make flossing when you have braces easier and more efficient—and if you’ve ever had trouble getting the right angle or wrapping the floss around your wires just right, then this is going to be a game-changer for you! But what do they look like? How do they work?
You may find it hard to access the right information on the internet, so we are here to help you in the following article, providing the best and updated information on how to floss with braces without threader and best dental floss for braces
How To Use Dental Floss Threaders With Braces
How to Floss With Braces
by Dr. Tyler Coles – Premier Orthodontics
Ask anyone what the hardest part about braces is, and they’ll usually give you the same answer: flossing.
One study shows that only 30% of Americans floss their teeth when they don’t have braces…
…so you can bet that it’s even less when someone has another obstacle, like braces on their teeth to get around.
Why is Flossing With Braces So Important?
According to the American Dental Association, “Cleaning between teeth removes plaque that can lead to cavities or gum disease from the areas where a toothbrush can’t reach.”
In other words, flossing removes plaque and helps prevent cavities and gum disease.
If someone has braces, the risk for plaque buildup, cavities, and gum disease increases dramatically. If you invested in braces to make your teeth straight then shouldn’t you want them to remain clean and healthy in the process?
That’s why we want to show you the easiest, most effective ways to floss your teeth with braces.
How to Floss With Braces Using a Floss Threader
Before you pick up some regular floss, you need to know that it doesn’t work quite the same way if you have braces…
An extra tool is required in order to get the floss beneath the archwire. This tool is called a floss threader.
The best way to picture a floss threader is to first imagine a needle and thread. The floss threader will act as the needle, and your floss will be the thread.
First, pass a piece of floss through the floss threader…
…and then using the floss threader, “thread” the floss beneath the wire.
Once you have the floss beneath the wire, you can floss as you normally would.
After you have flossed one tooth you will need to repeat this process for each tooth.
The Pros of Using a Floss Threader to Floss With Braces:
- Very Inexpensive – Your orthodontist will likely give you a pack for free (or you can pick some up for a few dollars on Amazon or at a drug store)
- Reusable – One pack will likely last you months or years
- A Process You’re Already Used To – No special tools are needed, just the threader and floss.
The Cons of using a Floss Threader to Floss With Braces
- Tricky To Use At First – This is especially true for younger kids. Using the floss threader requires some hand skills that may prove difficult for young children.
- Takes Longer Than Normal Flossing – . Because you have to repeat the process of flossing beneath the wire for every tooth in your mouth, this can be a time consuming process.
Check out our video about brushing and flossing with braces! It demonstrates exactly how floss threaders are used.
Overall, using a floss threader to floss with braces works well and many patients choose this option for its cost-effectiveness. But if you’d like to find a faster or easier option, keep reading below…
How to Floss With Braces Using Superfloss
Superfloss is essentially a piece of floss with one stiff end.
Superfloss works similarly to a floss threader, only you don’t need to do the “needle and thread” process. You simply take the stiff end of floss, guide it beneath your archwire, and floss your teeth.
The Pros of Using a Superfloss to Floss With Braces:
- Easier Than a Floss Threader – Most kids and adults figure this method out pretty easily.
- Easy To Find – It can be purchased on Amazon or at your local drug store
The Cons of using a Superfloss to Floss With Braces
- Also Time Consuming – Because you have to repeat the process of guiding the floss beneath the wire, it does take a little bit of time.
- Not Reusable – Super floss is a one-time use product, so each day you will use a new piece and throw it away. This product isn’t too expensive, but while you are in braces you will likely need several boxes to get you by.
Superfloss is a great tool that cleans well. Grab a pack next time you’re at the drug store and try it out for yourself!
How to Floss With Braces Using a Platypus Orthodontic Flosser
Platypus Orthodontic Flossers are one of the quickest, and EASIEST ways to floss with braces.
There is no threading required with the platypus orthodontic flossers. The narrow side of the flosser is designed to fit behind the arch wire, allowing you to floss your entire mouth in no more than two minutes (usually less)!
The easiest way to understand how the Platypus Orthodontic Flosser works is to see it in action. Click below to watch a video about how to floss with braces using the Platypus Orthodontic Flosser.
The Pros of Using a Platypus Orthodontic Flosser to Floss With Braces:
- Fastest Method – You can floss your entire mouth in two minutes or less.
- No Threading Required – This makes it easier for young kids who may struggle with the floss threaders on their own.
The Cons of Using a Platypus Orthodontic Flosser to Floss With Braces
- Cost More Than Floss Threaders – The Platypus Orthodontic flossers are a one-time use product, so each day you will use a new flosser and throw it away. This product is still reasonably priced, however, and you can buy them in larger packages to save money.
- Difficult To Find In-Store – This is most likely a solution you will need to order online. You can find them on Amazon with free shipping and in multiple package sizes.
How to Floss With Braces Using a Harp Orthodontic Flosser
The Harp Orthodontic Flosser is very similar to the platypus flosser – it too allows you to floss without threading. You simply guide the small end of the flosser beneath the archwire to floss your entire mouth; no threading required!
Watch the video below to learn more about the harp flosser and to see it in action.
The Pros of Using a Harp Orthodontic Flosser to Floss With Braces:
- Quick And Easy – You can floss your entire mouth in two minutes or less.
- No Threading Required – This makes it easier for young kids who may struggle with the floss threaders on their own.
- Reusable For Up To A Week – , This means less total flossers you will have to buy throughout the time you have braces.
The Cons of Using a Harp Orthodontic Flosser to Floss With Braces
- Cost More Than Floss Threaders – Harp Flossers cost more than floss threaders, but they are still very reasonable. To get a month’s supply of Harp flossers it comes out to about $5!
- Difficult To Find – They can’t be found at local drug stores or on Amazon, but you can order them direct on the Harp company website.
How to Floss With Braces Using a Waterpik or Water Flosser
A Waterpik is a popular brand of water flosser. A water flosser is a device that delivers a stream of pressurized pulsating water between your teeth, along the gum line, and around your braces. If you find that string floss, no matter the type, is too difficult to do on a daily basis, then a water flosser might be a good choice for you!
In addition to cleaning between your teeth like floss, a water flosser can also help remove food debris along the gum and around the braces. Watch the video below to see how a water flosser can help you floss with braces and keep your braces clean.
The Pros of Using a Waterpik or Water Flosser to Floss With Braces:
- No String Required – If you or your child struggles with string floss, a water flosser is likely the best answer. It’s quick, easy and lets you floss your entire mouth in two minutes or less.
- Helps Around The Braces And Gum Line – String floss just can’t get to these areas.
- Easy To Find – You can pick Waterpiks or water flossers up at your local drug store or online.
- One-Time Investment – One unit will last the entire time you’re in braces—plus a long time after that! This is also the most eco-friendly choice, as it allow you to entirely eliminate trash waste from your flossing routine.
The Cons of Using a Waterpik or Water Flosser to Floss With Braces
- Most Expensive – Portable units start around $30, and counter top units may cost up to $70. But remember, you never have to replace it while you’re wearing braces.
- Not Portable – A water flosser does require you to be near a sink in order to use it.
No matter which type of floss you choose . . . there’s no doubt that flossing with braces is crucial to maintaining healthy teeth, healthy gums, and avoiding bad breath with braces.
With the tools listed above, you’ll find it easier and less time consuming than ever to floss with braces.
Best floss for braces
For most patients of My Family Dentistry, Invisalign aligners are preferable to metal braces for a number of reasons, including comfort and appearance.
However, metal braces are the right decision for some people, like younger children who may have trouble consistently wearing removable aligners. If you or your child has metal braces, you need to be sure you’re using the best flossing tools for braces to protect the health of your gums and teeth while they’re being straightened.
Flossing is a particular challenge for people with braces. The metal brackets and wires can get in the way of the floss, preventing you from easily cleaning in between teeth. If you want your teeth to be not only straight, but healthy and stain-free, you need to be sure to floss daily as well as brush thoroughly.
The 4 Best Flossing Tools for Braces:
#4 – Typical Floss with Threaders
You can still use regular floss with your braces, but a little extra help from a floss threader will make things much easier. You simply thread the floss through the threader, thread the floss around the wire and between teeth, floss, and repeat the process between each subsequent tooth. This process may be a little time-consuming, but it’s cheap and effective. There are a number of great brands of floss threaders available, including Dentek, Plackers, GUM, and Crest.
#3 – Oral-B Super Floss
Especially designed for use with braces, Oral-B Super Floss is a step up from using a floss threader. Super Floss is made from a piece of regular floss. At one end, there is a stiff piece of plastic, no bigger than the floss, but rigid enough to insert between your teeth. This plastic end allows you to quickly and easily insert the floss between teeth around braces wire, floss, and then move on to the next area. This product also includes a small area of “spongy” floss between the plastic threader and the regular floss, which allows you to clean further down under the gum line and around brackets and wires to remove more plaque and food particles before you brush.
#2 – AirFloss
The Sonicare AirFloss is a great choice for kids (or adults!) who have trouble taking the time to floss. In about 60 seconds, it can clean your entire mouth with bursts of air, and there’s no string to get caught in your braces. It’s not as inexpensive as floss threaders or Super Floss, but if you dread flossing, it will help you spend less time in front of the bathroom mirror without sacrificing your oral health.
#1 – Waterpik Water Flosser
A water flossing system like Waterpik’s Water Flosser is also ideal for braces. These systems may have a higher up-front cost than plain floss, but they’re much more comfortable and effective than traditional floss, removing as much as 99.9% of plaque when used correctly. Dr. Mullins thinks that water flossers are actually the best flossing tools for braces, because they make it so easy and comfortable to clean your teeth thoroughly!
No matter which flossing solution you choose, it is imperative to floss regularly to keep your teeth healthy. If you don’t, you may have unsightly stains or even damage when you have your braces removed!
Not flossing with braces
If you or your child wears traditional metal braces, then your orthodontist likely stresses the importance of brushing and flossing every day to maintain good dental health. However, like many braces wearers, you may find flossing such a challenge that you skip this step in your oral hygiene routine on occasion or even neglect it completely.
Unfortunately, no matter how well you brush, you should always floss at least once a day. Flossing helps remove plaque from between teeth and below the gumline that is difficult to remove with a toothbrush alone. If you do not remove this plaque on a daily basis, then you could develop gum disease or cavities between your teeth.
Read on to learn four tips that make it easier to floss while you wear braces.
1. Use the Right Traditional Flossing Tools
One of the most time-tested and affordable ways to floss your teeth while you wear braces is to use traditional dental floss combined with a special device called a dental floss threader.
Check the label of your floss to ensure that it is waxed and not unwaxed floss. Unwaxed floss can shred when it rubs against braces wires and brackets, while waxed floss tends to glide over them smoothly.
Braces floss threaders are small loops of very stiff floss. They resemble large sewing needles. If you have difficulty maneuvering dental floss underneath your braces’ wires, you might accomplish the task much more easily with the aid of a stiff floss threader.
To use a floss threader, simply connect your floss to the loop, as you would thread a sewing needle, then use the threader to thread the floss under your braces’ wires as you floss instead of attempting to do it with your fingers.
2. Look for Orthodontic Flossers
If you enjoyed the use of floss picks — small pieces of dental floss attached to small plastic handles — before you obtained braces, then you will be happy to hear that there are similar flossing tools made specifically for braces wearers.
Traditional floss picks have wide handles that are impossible to maneuver under braces wires, but orthodontic floss picks are attached to very narrow handles that often slide right under braces’ wires. Many braces wearers not only find these floss picks much easier to use than traditional floss but also find that they make flossing a much quicker task.
3. Try an Interdental Cleaner
If you would like to skip the traditional dental floss altogether, then you may want to try one of the many different interdental cleaners available today.
Some interdental cleaners are short, thin sticks made of a stiff, yet flexible material called polypropylene. You simply glide these short sticks between your teeth to remove tartar and food particles.
Other interdental cleaners, called interdental brushes, consist of thin, flexible wires with short bristles attached to them. You slide these brushes between your teeth and under the gum line to remove plaque. These brushes come in many diameters meant to perform different dental cleaning tasks, so be sure to choose a brush with a very small diameter to avoid damaging your teeth or gums.
4. Consider a Water Flosser
Another way to clean between your teeth and under your gum line when you wear braces is to use a water flosser. Water flossers project thin streams of water on and between your teeth. Water flossers can be used to remove plaque between teeth and under the gum line, just as traditional dental floss does.
How To Floss With Braces Without Threader
The Water Flosser just makes flossing your teeth so simple, but ultimately the decision is really up to the teenager as to what they feel most comfortable with. Simply fill the Water Flosser with water and aim at your gums, keeping your mouth shut the entire time.
Device #1: How to Use Floss Threaders While Flossing When Wearing Braces?
Water Flosser (also known as Water Pick) This tool is quick and effective for treating gingivitis in the mouth. Try using the water flosser if you have braces and don’t want to deal with Platypus Floss, Plackers Floss, or anything with a string.
In my opinion, water flossers are the simplest to use because all you have to do is point it at the base of the pockets and spray the gums.
Best Dental Floss For Braces
WORN FLOSS
Wax is applied to tiny plastic or Teflon strands to create waxed floss. While the floss glides across the areas you’re seeking to clean, the wax makes it simple to slide it between your teeth. For those wearing braces, waxed dental floss is advised since it tends to slide more easily between teeth that are tightly spaced. You can use it around dental appliances for improved cleaning just like dental super floss.