Threading regular floss through braces is...let’s just say, an exercise in patience I do not have. I switched to a water flosser and here’s how I go about it: fill it up with lukewarm water (cold stings my gums), start on the lowest setting, and work my way around each bracket and gumline. I do a quick rinse after, just to be sure. It’s not perfect, but way less hassle than floss threaders. Anybody have a better trick, or maybe tips for getting behind those stubborn wires?
I get the hype around water flossers—they’re way less fiddly than threading floss through braces, for sure. But I’ll be honest, I still use those little interdental brushes sometimes, especially for the bits right under the wire. They’re not as splashy as the water flosser, but I feel like they get the gunk out better in tight spots. My ortho swears by them, though maybe he just likes seeing me struggle. Anyone else mix it up, or am I just a glutton for punishment?
I’m right there with you on the whole “mixing it up” thing. I’m still pretty new to braces, and honestly, cleaning them is a whole event for me. I got a water flosser because everyone swears by them, but I sort of panicked the first few times—water everywhere, and I’m not even sure I hit all the spots. It’s easy for the big spaces, but under the wire, like you mentioned? That’s where I get stuck.
Here’s what I do now, step-by-step, just in case it helps anyone else who feels like they’re wrestling an octopus every night:
1. I start with the water flosser, just to blast away anything obvious. I keep the pressure pretty low because I read somewhere that high pressure can actually make my gums sore, and I’m already paranoid about gum recession.
2. Then I go in with those tiny interdental brushes. I have a set in three sizes because my teeth are all over the place. The smallest one is the only thing that fits under the wire in the back. It takes forever, but I swear I get stuff out that the water flosser just doesn’t budge.
3. I finish up with regular brushing, and then I stare at my teeth in the mirror worrying I missed something. (Just me?)
My orthodontist is definitely Team Interdental Brush. She gave me a whole bag of them and said, “Don’t skip these.” I think maybe it’s a rite of passage or something. Sometimes I feel like the water flosser is the flashy new gadget, but the brushes are the tried-and-true tool that actually gets the job done, at least for those stubborn spots.
But yeah, I do sometimes wonder if I’m just making things harder for myself. Maybe I’ll get faster eventually? Right now, it feels like a full workout for my hands and my nerves.
Anyway, you’re definitely not alone if you’re using both. If there’s a secret to making it less of a hassle, I haven’t found it yet... but at least my teeth are (hopefully) clean.
That “wrestling an octopus” feeling is way too real. I’ve had braces for almost a year now, and it still takes me ages to get through my cleaning routine. I tried skipping the interdental brushes once—big mistake. Ended up with food stuck for days and a lecture from my ortho. The water flosser is great for the easy spots, but I agree, nothing beats those tiny brushes for the stubborn bits under the wire. I keep telling myself it’ll get faster, but honestly, some nights it just feels like part of the deal. At least my teeth have never been cleaner...
I get the “wrestling an octopus” description way too well—sometimes it feels like my mouth is the octopus and I’m losing the fight. I’m still new to the whole braces game (shiny smile for about four months now) and honestly, I thought the hardest part would be not eating popcorn. Turns out, it’s trying to keep these things clean without losing my mind.
The water flosser was supposed to be my shortcut to sanity, but those sneaky bits behind the wires? They’re like the final boss in a video game. I’ve tried aiming the flosser at weird angles, kind of like trying to shoot a water gun around a corner, but half the time I just end up spraying my mirror and my shirt. The other half, I think I get it, but then I find a mystery chunk of food hours later and start questioning everything.
I bought a pack of those little brushes too—the ones that look like tiny pipe cleaners. They’re great when I remember to use them, but sometimes I just stare at them and sigh. My ortho said “it gets easier,” but I’m convinced he’s just trying to make me feel better. At least my teeth have never been this squeaky clean, though. I even caught myself smiling at my own reflection the other day, which is a first.
Anyone else ever get paranoid about missing a spot and then spend way too long in the bathroom, or is that just me being dramatic?
