If you’re on your Spark clear aligners journey, you’re already making an excellent choice for your smile’s future—but something else you need to also do is keep up with your oral hygiene throughout your treatment! Otherwise, all that hard work straightening your smile may be lost due to cavities, gum disease, and other issues. Daily oral hygiene includes both brushing and flossing, but some patients feel a little stumped when it comes to maintaining their flossing habit while wearing their aligners. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Flossing Matters with Clear Aligners
Since Spark clear aligners are removable, you actually have an advantage over traditional braces when it comes to keeping your teeth clean. However, aligners also create a sealed environment over your teeth for many, many hours each day. That means any plaque or food debris left behind can be trapped, leading to issues like cavities, staining, and gum disease if flossing isn’t part of your daily routine.
These types of oral health problems can delay your orthodontic progress, and brushing alone can’t always reach between teeth where bacteria like to hide—you must also floss! Cleaner teeth mean clearer aligners, too, helping you to remain confident throughout your treatment.
Tips for Flossing During Your Clear Aligner Treatment
You should aim to floss every single day, but it’s also just as important to go about things the right way. Here are some useful tips to keep in mind:
- Floss before brushing so that when you go to brush, it’s more effective!
- Use the right tools; traditional floss gets the job done, but many patients prefer floss picks or water flossers since they’re easier to use.
- Don’t skip the habit; even if you brush regularly, flossing daily makes just as much of a difference in your oral health.
- After flossing, rinse your mouth out with water to wash away any loosened debris.
If you think of flossing as a crucial part of your clear aligner treatment—just like wearing the aligners for 22 hours a day and swapping to new sets on time—then you shouldn’t encounter any oral health issues or setbacks during your journey to a straighter smile!
About the Practice
Our team here at Smiles by Palmer Orthodontics has served the needs of patients in Bethel Park, McMurray, and the nearby areas for several years, offering a wide range of orthodontic services, including Spark clear aligners for patients looking to enhance their smiles in a more discreet manner. To learn more or to schedule an appointment for yourself or a loved one, please reach out online or call our Bethel Park or McMurray office to learn more!