Taking good care of your teeth, gums, and mouth is crucial for overall health. That’s because good oral hygiene directly affects the rest of your overall well being. Good oral hygiene also prevents gum disease, tooth decay, bad breath, and a whole slew of other problems. From a very young age, we want children to care for their teeth. Sometimes, some outside help is needed to make sure your teeth and mouth are as healthy as they can be! Many end up needing braces and then retainers. We specialize in retainers which come in two forms, either removable or built-in. Retainers help teeth from moving back into incorrect positions, keeping your mouth healthy.
Benefits of Built-In Retainers
- After braces, they prevent against teeth relapsing into old places.
- You’ll never forget to wear it because it’s built in.
- They’re discreet and others won’t realize you’re wearing one
How to Clean With Built-In Retainer
Once you have your built-in retainer in place, we want to understand the importance of keeping up with good oral hygiene practices. This includes flossing, which is crucial for overall mouth health. Although flossing is more difficult with a built-in retainer, it’s not impossible.
Use a Floss Threader or Make Your Own
It’s easiest to floss with a floss threader, because it allows you to move the floss up and down removing plaque. You will have to re-thread after every two teeth which are bonded by your built-in retainer. You can also make your own threader, and one of our orthodontists can teach you how. Overall, this system makes cleaning between your teeth more effective and easier.
Flossing With Superfloss
Superfloss is readily accessible and can be used to make sure that you’re keeping up with good oral hygiene. Superfloss is similar to a floss threader. It’s a piece of plastic that can be thread in-between permanent retainers, making your flossing a lot easier. It has a stiff end which is easy to maneuver into those hard to reach places.
Seek Advice From One of Our Orthodontists
Our orthodontists want to make sure that you’re having the best success and keeping up with the best oral hygiene practices while you have a built-in retainer in place. If you’re in the Denver area, stop in and we can offer guidance on the best floss available, how often it should be done, and how to work around the retainer.