How To Floss With Permanent Retainer – Avoid Tartar Build Up

We will show you in the post how to floss with a permanent retainer to avoid tarter build up. Anyone who understands what wearing braces for years has experienced the pain that it brings and the hardship it poses when it comes to cleaning the teeth. Apart from the pain, there are other embarrassing moments that come up when you wear braces.

For instance, you might find yourself smiling to your friends, and your brackets and wires are full of food. If you have experienced some of these embarrassing moments, you know that the journey with the braces to the point of removing them cannot be for anything less than a perfect smile.

How to Care for Your Permanent Retainer

This investment has to be taken care of after braces have been removed using retainers, for the teeth to maintain their correct position. Retainers start their work at this phase. The most common retainers being used are permanent retainers. There are other temporary retainers, but what is a permanent retainer and what is it used for?

Is it Hard to Floss With Permanent Retainers?

How to do it

1. Make a loop with your floss at one end.
2. Slip the loop over your front bottom tooth. The two ends of the floss should be facing outside of your mouth.
3. Hold the ends and then push the floss down. When you hear a click, the floss should have slipped under the wire and rested along the gumline.
4. Let go of the short end of the floss and slowly pull the long end until the short end exits the space between the teeth. With the floss under the wire and between the teeth, you can accurately floss the crevice as well as the gums.

What Floss?

Although retainers can gather plaque, you don’t have to worry about cleaning them, because you don’t have to add extra attention when cleaning than you did when you were brushing your teeth with braces. Some permanent retainers are bonded with the teeth which make it harder to clean around them, but they are reliable in preventing any tooth from moving once the braces are removed. There are three ways you can use to floss these types of retainers:

• Use floss threaders: this type of floss is designed with a loop to help in re-threading the floss and get between the retainer. Once you have the floss in position under the wire, you can maneuver it to remove plaque and food particles. It is important to use a different thread for each tooth that you floss.
• Superfloss: this is a pre-cut floss that has a piece of plastic on one end that is designed to clean between permanent retainers. This method does not involve threading.
• Small brushes and picks: you can use these tools that are designed to fit between the teeth, and they are made from rubber or plastic for them not to damage the tooth’s enamel.

Other types of permanent retainers are attached only to two teeth at the ends of the retainer; in most cases, these are usually canines. When you practice how to clean these types of retainers repeatedly, you will have an easier time flossing around the retainers. It is easier to clean this retainer since threading the floss around the retainer is an easy exercise. Flossing is an important process of cleaning your teeth, and with a permanent retainer, you should not have an excuse for not flossing your teeth. How to floss teeth with a permanent retainer is essential in ensuring long-term dental health.

 

 

 

How to Maintain a Clean Teeth While Wearing Permanent Retainers

Many people are going for orthodontic treatment because orthodontists provide different solutions to braces that people can choose from. Orthodontists are helping many people to straighten their teeth using Damon lingual braces or Invisalign aligners. Once permanent retainers are fixed, it is important to keep the teeth and the gums healthy. To achieve it, we are going to look at some tips to help you keep your dental hygiene high.

• Floss daily: never give up on flossing, even if it is hard when you have retainers, use superfloss because it is designed to clean around braces and it can be easily purchased in chemists.
• Brush teeth properly: when you brush your teeth, ensure to angle your toothbrush in a way to access all the spaces and hidden areas around your teeth and fixed retainers.

 

Go for your appointments: always create time to go for your appointments because your orthodontist will want to clean your teeth in areas where you might have missed, like at the back of the teeth, and in tight spaces around the retainers. If it is hard to clean these hidden areas at home, then you may want to plan for frequent appointments to prevent the formation of plaque, which can build up and increase the chances of gingivitis.

An additional benefit of going to appointments is that your orthodontist can check for any other dental issues, making it easier to treat the issue before it progresses to something serious. In a way a fixed retainer looks attractive, you should return the favor by ensuring that they are cleaned effectively. After a long journey of wearing braces, you may have finally gotten that perfect smile you have always wanted. But the journey continues with cleaning your teeth consistently especially with your retainers on. Just like anything else, if you take good care of it, it will serve you for a long time without causing problems.

 

Contact us Today

We hope you now have a better understanding of how to floss while wearing retainers to keep your teeth healthy and free of tartar as a result of reading this article.For more information regarding how to maintain clean teeth while wearing permanent retainers and how to take care of permanent retainers, contact us and we will help you with some tips after making an appointment with our orthodontists. 

 

McDermott Orthodontist
708 Elm Ave. E.
Delano, MN
55328
TEL: 763-972-4444