Easy Tips for Flossing with Invisalign

The American Dental Association recommends flossing your teeth once a day with either traditional dental floss or another method, such as a water irrigator. However, while this activity is extremely important under normal circumstances, it is absolutely crucial during Invisalign treatment. In fact, those who are straightening their smiles with clear aligners should be flossing after each meal. Here’s a closer look at why, and how to do it effectively!

Why Do I Need to Floss More with Invisalign?

For many people, flossing seems like an unnecessary step unless they know they have something trapped between their teeth. However, what you may not realize is that flossing isn’t just for dental accidents- in fact, it can help remove daily plaque and bacteria from the 30 percent of the surface of your teeth that cannot be reached by brushing alone.

With Invisalign, this step becomes even more important, because when you wear aligners for 22 hours a day, your saliva cannot touch your teeth during that time, meaning any bits of food and debris caught between them have no chance of being rinsed away, and instead can become trapped there to increase your risk of bad breath, cavities, and gum disease.

Thus, your dentist recommends brushing and flossing your teeth after each meal besides water with Invisalign, so you can keep your smile free of injury while it’s transitioning into its new alignment.

Making Flossing Easy

One of the best things about Invisalign is that everyday activities like your oral hygiene routine are much easier than they might be with traditional braces. Because there are no brackets or wires, there shouldn’t be much difficulty getting between the teeth, nor should you need any special equipment to do it. Here’s a handy guide to how to get the job done right:

Step 1: Take out a string of dental floss that’s approximately 18cm in length and then wrap the ends around your fingers. Be sure to leave a few inches free for getting between the teeth.

Step 2: Next, carefully glide the floss between the teeth, working slowly towards the gumline.

Step 3: Maneuver the floss between each of your teeth in an up and down “c” shaped motion.

Step 4: As you work from tooth to tooth, move the floss so you have a clean section to work with. Repeat these steps until you have reached between every tooth, including those with large gaps between them.

Step 5: Once complete, be sure to rinse out your mouth with either water or mouthwash, and don’t forget to put your Invisalign aligners back on!

Remember, flossing between every tooth helps clean nearly a third of your smile that may otherwise not be cared for with brushing alone. During your Invisalign treatment, this step is an incredibly important way to ensure your smile stays healthy and strong, so you’ll have a gorgeous, perfectly aligned healthy grin when your aligners come off in just a few short months!

About Dr. Eskridge

Dr. Steven Eskridge earned his dental degree at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry and has taken every opportunity he’s had to expand his dental skills and knowledge ever since. One of the first dentists in the area to use CEREC CAD/CAM technology, he has also completed numerous courses at The Dawson Academy. He is also a proud, active member of the Northwest Oral Surgery Study Club, the American Dental Association, the Ohio Dental Association, the Spectrum Study Club, and the Columbus Dental Society. To schedule a consultation for Invisalign at Wedgewood Complete Dentistry, visit our website or call us today at 614-792-0063.