If you ask any traditional braces wearer, chances are they have an embarrassing story about having food stuck in their brackets, or the frustration of cleaning around their wires. One of the benefits of Angel Aligners is that you don’t have to deal with the complicated cleaning process of regular braces. That’s because clear aligners easily remove for meals, beverages, and oral health care. But just because your aligners will stay cleaner than wire and bracket braces doesn’t mean you don’t still need to care for your teeth during your treatment. In fact, flossing well while wearing clear aligners is an absolute must.
Why Floss?
Even though when you have Angel Aligners you don’t need to remove bits of food and plaque from traditional wires, you still have to remove this debris from between your teeth. This is very important, because when you wear your aligners for 22 hours a day, you are essentially trapping plaque, food particles, and bacteria in between your teeth with no way to rinse them away. Thus, it becomes imperative that you floss after every time you eat to keep your teeth clean and healthy.
How To Floss
If you’re not sure how to floss, or just need a refresher, here’s a step-by-step guide to taking care of your teeth with aligners:
- Remove your aligners and put them in the case
- Brush your teeth for at least two minutes
- Rinse your mouth thoroughly
- Now you’re ready to floss:
- Remove a piece of dental floss that is about 20” long, and wrap the ends around your fingers
- Slide the floss between each of your teeth in a back and forth and up and down motion working up towards the gumline in a “c” motion
- As you clean between each tooth, adjust the floss so that each section receives an unused piece.
- After you have finished flossing between each tooth, rinse your mouth again to remove any debris dislodged in the process
Also, be sure to clean your aligners themselves. You can do this by using special aligner soak that will help kill bacteria and clean the surface, but you should also brush your aligners with a soft-bristled brush and non-abrasive toothpaste and rinse well before reattaching.
Now that your teeth are flossed and your aligners are clean, you can put them back in until your next meal and enjoy all that extra free time you saved by having convenient, comfortable Angel Aligners instead of traditional braces!
About Our Practice
At SimpliBraces in Queens, NY Dr. Isaak Yelizar and his team specialize in providing orthodontic treatment to patients of all ages. In their totally digital office, the SimpliBraces team combines the latest in technology with traditional, quality care and a “less is more” approach.
Dr. Yelizar is honored to be a Board-Certified Orthodontist by the American Board of Orthodontics, a privilege only bestowed upon 30 percent of orthodontists.
To see how a truly individualized approach to orthodontics can benefit you and your smile, please visit our website or call us at 929-930-6776.