After your orthodontic journey, a permanent retainer is a wonderful way to keep your smile perfectly aligned. However, retainers also create new challenges for your daily oral hygiene. Learning to clean around them helps prevent plaque, cavities, and gum issues down the road.
The best way to floss with a permanent retainer is to use special tools like a floss threader or interdental brush to get underneath the wire and clean between each tooth.
Why Regular Floss Methods Don’t Work with a Permanent Retainer
You may have already discovered that your usual flossing technique no longer works. The wire of your permanent retainer forms a barrier that blocks the floss from sliding between your teeth. This obstruction means you can’t clean the sides of your teeth or your gumline effectively with standard flossing alone.
Without the right technique, plaque and food particles can get trapped around the wire and between your teeth. This buildup can lead to inflammation, cavities, or tartar. Adopting a new method is key to keeping your smile healthy for years to come.
Tools You Need for a Successful Clean
To get a thorough clean around your retainer wire, you need more than just a roll of floss. A few simple and affordable tools are designed to help you navigate those hard-to-reach areas and support proper brushing and flossing techniques. You can find these items at most drugstores or pharmacies.
Floss Threaders
A floss threader is a small, flexible plastic tool with a loop on one end. You simply thread your floss through the loop, much like threading a needle. Then, you can easily guide the stiff end of the threader under your retainer wire to pull the floss through.
Specialty Floss
Some types of floss are made just for cleaning around orthodontic work like retainers and braces. This kind of floss often has a stiff end that acts as a built-in threader. It may also have a spongy section to clean around the wire and a regular floss segment for the tooth surfaces.
Interdental Brushes
These tiny brushes are excellent for cleaning the small spaces between your teeth and under the retainer wire. They look like miniature bottle brushes and come in various sizes to fit comfortably between your teeth. Just insert the brush gently into the space and move it back and forth to clear away debris.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Floss with a Threader & Retainer
Flossing with a threader might seem a little awkward at first, but it will become second nature with practice. Following these simple steps can help you get a great clean every time:
- Pull off about 18 inches of your preferred dental floss.
- Insert about five inches of one end of the floss through the loop of the floss threader.
- Carefully guide the pointed end of the threader under your permanent retainer wire, starting from the front of your teeth.
- Pull the threader all the way through until a section of floss is under the wire.
- Remove the threader from the floss and gently slide the floss up and down the side of each tooth, making sure to dip just below the gumline.
- Pull the floss out from the side and repeat the process for each tooth that is attached to the retainer.
Can a Water Flosser Help Clean My Retainer?
A water flosser uses a pressurized stream of water to flush out food particles and plaque from between your teeth and around the wire of your retainer. It’s particularly good at rinsing away debris that your brush or floss might have loosened but not fully removed.
While a water flosser can improve your oral hygiene, it works alongside traditional flossing rather than replacing it.
How to Know You Floss Correctly
You’re on the right track if you notice the following:
- Your teeth feel smooth and clean when you run your tongue over them.
- Your gums do not bleed after you have been flossing consistently for about a week.
- You can see that there is no visible food or plaque buildup around the wire or between your teeth.
- Your breath feels fresh throughout the day.
Keep Your Teeth Clean
Keeping up with good oral hygiene while you have a permanent retainer is an important part of your long-term health. If you ever have questions about your routine or want personalized advice, our dentists in Bradford are here to support you. At Hill Top Dental Centre, our family is ready to help care for yours.
