How to Floss with Braces

Flossing with braces can be a bit of a nuisance, so we hope to show you some options to take care of your braces and keep them clean!

In this video, Olivia and Dr. Nemeth go over 6 options to floss with braces.

Option 1 is a Floss Threader

A floss threader is easier to maneuver and allows you to fit traditional dental floss underneath the wire on your braces. This is what is recommended by orthodontists and is very similar to the traditional way of flossing your teeth.

Option 2 is the Soft-Pick Advanced

This is Dr. Nemeth's personal favorite tool for cleaning between the teeth with or without braces. This instrument is very good at getting in small spaces between the teeth and cleaning braces, brackets or bridges.

Option 3 is the ProxaBrush

These proxy brushes are great, they can bend, and they also allow you to reach areas of your mouth that may be difficult to reach with traditional dental floss. They will fit into larger spaces much easier than the soft-picks. These proxy brushes are disposable so you can clean your braces on the go and throw them away!

Option 4 is The Doctor's Brush Picks

These are the smallest of the tools that we discuss and are excellent for cleaning those tight spaces that the other tools can't fit in between. This is another fantastic option for flossing with braces, and this is another one of Dr. Nemeth's favorite tools for cleaning between the teeth.

Option 5 is the Platypus Flosser

This is a very fast and easy option for flossing. The Platypus flosser is very similar to a normal floss pick, but it is customized to fit underneath the wire of your braces so you can floss on the go.

Option 6 is the Waterpik

This is by far the best option for cleaning between the teeth with or without braces! It is a great way to clean between the teeth and it can get smaller food particles that the other tools we listed may miss. The Waterpik has multiple different speeds and different nozzles for different purposes. The Waterpik is our favorite and best way for flossing with braces or cleaning between the teeth if you have orthodontics.

We hope this helps you keep your braces clean! We love to educate the public about proper oral health care routines including how to floss with braces.

If you have any questions about keeping braces clean or if would like to schedule an appointment, please visit our website,

We are happy to help you.

Joseph R. Nemeth DDS & Associates
29829 Telegraph Road #111
Southfield, MI 48034
[phone]

We DO NOT accept Medicare or Medicaid at our office.
If you are a new patient, we require that a $25 deposit be made prior to your appointment in order to reserve your time.

[reynapr]

Olivia blink if you’re being held captive

[shawnaengalla]

I’m just going to water floss it looks the easiest 🤣 and why Olivia face like that the whole vid 💀💀

[jaredpierce]

Good video. Olivia kinda looks like she is freaking out though.

[CurlySimone]

I'm getting my braces in a few days and even without braces I can't stand food in my teeth so I floss and rinse my mouth after every meal. You guys showed me a variety of options of cleaning my gums and in between my teeth in preparation of having braces put on. Loved this video. Thanks for sharing. 🙏🙏🙏

[christinemadrazo]

I'm giving my 12 year old brace wearer a water flosses for Christmas. Thanks for sharing this information.

[viperito]

Olivia blink twice if he is holding you as a hostage

[Americafirst]

My son just got braces and he is so overwhelmed with the care he needs to provide now and how much more difficult it is to perform the once really easy flossing. I just finished your video and I feel so much better about it. I feel relief knowing that when I’ll show him this video it’s gonna make it so much easier. Thank you so much for taking the time to film this.

[Bruh-qnul]

Life hack, when using a floss threader take the threader and pull a piece of floss through it. Then knot the floss to the threader and you no longer need to pull it through each time. It has saved me a lot of time using this method of floss with braces.

[kikip]

they don’t look like they have the best like chemistry idk it just didn’t look natural😂 and it seemed like olivia was freaking out a little idk why

[danielerlichofficial]

The variety of products you have demonstrated is amazing and I will definitely use some of them. My only problem is that I simply cannot use the Floss Threader. It's nice that you are showing how to do it on perfect teeth model but our teeth are very tight on its each other and do not look that way with perfect space in between! And if they did we wouldn't need braces! Second, the way Olivia is showing how to floss doesn't make sense at all! One hand is completely inside the jaw like we are just a walking jaws without the head. In reality it's super hard to floss the normal way!

[spiritualinsiderr]

After using a water pik you’ll never go back lol, it’s a different level of clean

[ItzMeWill]

I just got my braces on 3 days ago..
😁 <--- this is gonna be me in pictures one day

[MissValdostaFeedAndGrain]

I can swear by the Platypus flosser!!👍👍. They are a bit pricey (in my opinion)...I can’t locate them in any stores where I live so I have to buy them from Amazon - about $9 for a bag of 30, but they are worth it. Adult here, 12 months into my 24 month braces journey. With the powerchains, I was having so much trouble flossing with either a floss threader or the superfloss. The struggle was real. I have used the Waterpic Flosser device prior to braces and it does a very good job. For me, I vary my flossing during the week...sometimes just platypus floss and thorough brushing...or platypus floss, Waterpic Floss, then thorough brushing, etc. I advise folks not to rely on the Waterpic soley as your floss as it really can’t get deep down beneath the gum lines like floss can to remove tartar, but it does stimulate the gum tissue and remove bits that may have been left from a good flossing. My teeth have always been tight together, so I haven’t had much success w/ the little floss brushes (even the smallest ones) as they rarely fit b/n my teeth. Also, occassionally my gums get a little sore/swollen/puffy. I will rinse with warm salt walter and also a mix of warm salt water with a splash of hydrogen peroxide to swish around my mouth. This usually resuces gum flare ups within a few days - salt is a natural healing agent. Hope this helps!👍👍

[KR-jggc]

Lmao not a chance.. those first three picks are useless.. they work on decayed or largely spaced teeth 💁🏾‍♂️

[Mutable_PageOfCups]

Great Video! Those Dr picks are like a god send for me! I keep a pack of those everywhere, the other ones don't fit in between my teeth! The waterpik is also great!

[feliciaovince]

I just got braces on Thursday and it’s very hard and time consuming with the threading the floss and replacing the floss again over and over to get the next tooth to floss. I think the bristle brush pick and the platypus picks are the only options I’m going to settle for and I am also getting the waterpik as well.

[senorcats]

But I don’t have gaps between my teeth....

[bethb]

This is great info if you or someone you know has braces! Another hit Dr. Nemeth!

[malcolmdwain]

Just got my braces today. Making sure I take care of the new smile.

[googleuser]

Got my water flosser and it's literally AMAZING!