How to floss your teeth when you have braces

When you are sporting a tinny smile, oral hygiene is the name of the game. It may be harder to do, but I believe that it is even more necessary that you do it. The main reason for this is that there may be gaps in your teeth that food gets stuck in and will rot your teeth away, if you don't get rid of it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Floss (I prefer Super Floss(R) by Oral B
• -or-
• Floss and floss threaders

1. Take out one strand of floss.
2. Find the stiff end, and thread it between the braces wire and your teeth.
3. Gently pull the other end of the floss so that it goes between the teeth and all the way up to the gum.
4. Pull back and forth to get out pieces of food that may be lodged between your teeth. Try to get between the tooth and the gum also, as gently as possible.
5. Repeat with all of the teeth.

Tips & Warnings

• It helps to thread the floss down from the top teeth, and up from the lower teeth, so that you are not threading towards your lips, but rather towards your tongue.
• Don't be terribly worried if your gums bleed. If you continue to floss regularly, the bleeding should stop. If it doesn't, ask your dentist about it.