Flossing your teeth daily is an extremely important step in your oral hygiene routine, but if you wear Invisalign aligners, it’s crucial that you do it each time you eat. That’s because even though your trays provide you with unprecedented freedom over traditional braces, wearing aligners on dirty teeth can seriously increase your risk of cavities and gum disease.
Here’s how and why flossing your teeth is so important during Invisalign treatment.
The Importance of Flossing with Invisalign
Did you know that flossing between your teeth can remove about 30 percent of the bacteria and food debris that cannot be removed by brushing alone? Under normal circumstances, this trapped matter can be very dangerous to your smile, but the ability for saliva and water to rinse your teeth can help neutralize some of the bacteria and food particles can help.
When you wear Invisalign aligners, however, that food and bacteria cannot be rinsed away, nor does it have anywhere to go. Thus, it can sit on your teeth indefinitely, increasing your risk of cavities and gum disease. This means that to keep your teeth safe during treatment, unless all you’ve had is water, you need to brush and floss each time you eat and drink, and before you put your aligners back on.
How to Floss with Invisalign
The good news is that flossing your teeth with Invisalign is a lot easier than it would be with traditional braces. There’s no need to floss around wires and brackets or use any special tools to thread your floss. Here’s a step-by-step guide to proper flossing:
Step 1: Using a string of floss that’s about 18cm long, wrap the ends around your fingers, leaving a few inches of it free to use between your teeth.
Step 2: Glide the floss between your teeth slowly upwards toward the gumline.
Step 3: Move it between each of your teeth, creating an up and down “c” motion as you go.
Step 4: After each tooth, move the floss down so you have a fresh section. Repeat this until you have cleaned each of your teeth, even the ones with larger gaps between them.
Step 5: Rinse your mouth well with water or mouthwash and then put your aligners back in your mouth.
Remember, it’s essential to keep your teeth and gums healthy during Invisalign treatment, as your teeth and gums could go many hours without being rinsed by saliva. Thankfully, flossing is easy when your trays are removable, so maintaining your oral health during treatment should be a breeze!
About Our Practice
At Sweet Smiles Dental Design, Dr. Lopez and Dr. Fitzgerald are proud to offer Invisalign to help align their patients smiles faster and easier than with traditional orthodontics. If you are interested in a convenient, discreet way to straighten your teeth, Invisalign boasts myriad advantages over braces. To learn more about this treatment and to see if you qualify, please visit our website or call us at 303-688-9519 to schedule a consultation.