Flossing during orthodontic treatment

Every orthodontist that I know, including myself, recommends flossing during orthodontic treatment. Is this a reasonable request?

In my experience, not really.  

Why is that? 

Because most patients don’t have the patience required to do it properly or thoroughly enough. As a matter of fact, most patients don’t even have the patience to brush properly.

Flossing alone can take up to 5 minutes for a patient wearing braces. In the morning, when kids and adults are just waking up and are on a tight time schedule, it’s just not practical to expect kids to do this.   

Even most adult patients cannot find the extra time to do this. At night, patients are tired and ready to go to bed. Again flossing is an impractical expectation.

As dental practitioners, we are always stressing the ideal scenario for our patients. But we also have to be sensible. Most patients have difficulty with brushing properly. Flossing is much too difficult and time-consuming.   

With proper brushing during the short period of orthodontic treatment, most if not all hygiene problems can be avoided. This is where Ortho-buddy helps all patients. Used before brushing, Ortho-buddy requires only 30-45 seconds to remove all the plaque that most patients miss with an ordinary toothbrush.

Patients find it easy to use and are comforted by the knowledge that their teeth are clean. Of course, after treatment is completed patients can resume brushing or start flossing.