Do you have difficulty flossing because you have braces? Maybe you have a lingual bar (fixed retainer wire) and find it practically impossible to floss under the wire? It's like that your Orthodontist has recommended a dental aid to help you floss your teeth, but it case they haven't then we would like to recommend a dental aid that can make your flossing a little more simple, a floss threader.
Although we don't personally use a floss threader ourselves since we have no areas in our mouth where we would benefit from it. We do however, use it on patients who have braces and lingual bars.
What is a floss threader?
A dental floss threader is a type of flossing aid that helps get dental floss into difficult to reach areas.
How does it look?
It is an over-sized needled with a very ample "eye". It is flexible and made out of nylon. They are usually blue in color. These are disposable and normally thrown away after each use.
Where is it used?
This is mainly used on patients who have fixed bridges, orthodontic brackets, dental implants and lingual bars since it is nearly impossible to get the floss in between and underneath these areas.
Why is it used?
For the same reason we floss- to removed food particals from between teeth, reduce risk of decay and gum disease, to keep gums and teeth healthy by removing bacterial growth or the plaque formation that develops between them, protect dental work and fight bad breath.
How to use it?
1. Pull off 12-18 inches of your preferred dental floss.
2. Insert one end of the dental floss, about 5 inches ito the loop of the threader.
3. Pass the floss threader under or over any dental appliace, such as braces, permanent retainer or bridge.
4. Removed the threader from the floss and floss gently back and florth and up and down in the the gumline between the teeth
5. Repeat the process
If you benefit from a floss threader, we recommended that you use it every time you floss.
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