It doesn't matter when you floss; just do it!

Ortho Flossing2

Thinking about skipping out on flossing? Sure, your braces may look clean, but lurking in the crevices of your brackets are billions of bacteria, just waiting to create havoc on your teeth and gums. At Fey & Grey Orthodontics, we know that, in addition to professional hygiene cleanings, brushing and flossing are the best ways to keep decay-causing bacteria at bay. A cavity, especially if it’s around one of your brackets, can lengthen your time in braces, and we know you don’t want to have your braces one day longer than you have to!

It doesn’t matter when you floss; just do it!

No excuses! Flossing first allows you to brush away dislodged food debris afterward. Brushing first allows you to loosen plaque between the teeth and your braces, making it easier to floss more effectively. Try doing both at the same time! (Just kidding; don’t try that at home.)

The important part of flossing is doing it, and doing it right. That means using a fresh strand of dental floss each day (reused floss is gross), and carefully pulling it back and forth between all of the teeth. Special orthodontic floss is available to help guide the thread between your wires, so there’s really no excuse not to floss!

Think you can fib your way out of flossing? It turns out, we can tell if you’ve been flossing or not, so don’t try to hide it. We won’t be mad, just as long as you promise to start flossing on a daily basis. It’s for your own good, and ours, since looking at plaque-covered braces and teeth every day is kind of gross for us, too.