Flossing with Clear Aligners: An Essential Part Of Dental Care Regimen

It is safe to say that invisible aligners are the most popular teeth straightening treatment of current times. Patients of all ages, from children as young as 7 years old to adults in their late 50s and 60s are signing up for clear aligner treatment. There is no right age to start your orthodontic journey; however, there is a right way to do it. With invisible aligners, your teeth straightening becomes discreet and as painless as possible.

With that said, wearing clear aligners continuously for 20 to 22 hours a day as part of your treatment has its very own challenges. One of the biggest issues many patients face is the evident plaque buildup. To avoid plaque buildup and keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy throughout the treatment and after, you must learn and practice flossing daily.

Why do dentists recommend flossing?

Oral hygiene is key to a healthy mouth as well as the success of invisible aligner treatment. Regularly brushing and flossing your teeth can remove harmful bacteria from your oral cavity that may otherwise impact the health and longevity of your teeth. While most people brush their teeth every day, only a handful floss.

When you start your invisible aligner treatment, daily flossing becomes a vital part of maintaining your dental hygiene. As the aligner trays cover your teeth for the majority of your day, except at meal times, they create the ideal environment for bacteria to cluster and grow. To effectively combat this, experts at our dental clinic in Dubai recommend flossing after each meal to remove harmful debris from your teeth and mouth. 

If you are someone who skips flossing during your invisible aligner treatment, here is what happens-

• Plaque is a kind of sticky film of bacteria that forms over your teeth. When plaque hardens, it turns into tartar. If tartar is not removed on time, it can cause tooth decay.
• Harmful bacteria found in plaque can contribute to gum diseases, inflammation, and bleeding, which can be quite painful. 
• Leaving gum diseases untreated can lead to other health conditions including cardiovascular diseases.

To avoid such issues, it is important to adopt good flossing techniques and practice them daily along with brushing.

How to floss correctly

While you are on invisible aligner treatment, you will be removing your aligner trays before your meals. Ideally, you shouldn't consume anything other than water while wearing the clear aligners as food particles and colored beverages can break, stain or damage the trays. The chewing action while wearing the aligners may also interfere with the straightening process, prolonging your treatment. 

Once you take out your aligner trays, you must either keep them in the special cleaning solution or safely inside the case after washing thoroughly in water. While you may brush your teeth using colored toothpaste and use mouthwash, these items must not be used on the clear aligner as they will discolor the trays. Once you have safely stored the aligner trays, you must start cleaning your mouth.

1. Start by brushing your teeth. Brushing will dislodge most of the food particles and bacterial deposits on your teeth, gums, and tongue. Dentists recommend brushing your teeth for two minutes in a circular motion.
2. After brushing, you may use water or mouthwash to rinse your mouth. Swishing water/mouthwash around your mouth will loosen the particles left behind after brushing and throw them out with the spit. Rinse and repeat as many times as you deem necessary.
3. After rinsing, you must floss. Flossing removes food, sugar, plaque, tartar, and bacteria that are stuck between your teeth. Here are something you must remember when flossing-

• Choose a brand of floss that can glide smoothly between your teeth. 
• Remove a long piece of dental floss, around 18cm long. This length gives enough room to hold the floss.
• Wrap the ends of the dental floss around your fingers, with a few inches of the floss held tightly between your two hands to work between your teeth.
• Glide the floss slowly between each of your teeth, from the tip towards the gumline.
• Work the floss between each tooth by pulling it and forming a “C” shape, removing most of the debris and bacteria.
• Once you are done cleaning a tooth, move the dental floss between your fingers and move to the next tooth. Continue till all the teeth are cleaned.
• Once you are done with your flossing, you can pop back the clean invisible aligner into your mouth.

So there you have it. Visit our website to learn more about our invisible aligner treatment and book an appointment today.

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