Dental floss is a nylon thread that is used to remove food particles and plaque from between the teeth. Flossing is more difficult when you have braces on your teeth. A floss threader may be needed to get the floss under the archwire. Dr. Boyd will provide these for you. Use a piece of floss about 1 foot long. Use the floss threader to get the floss under the wire. Slide the floss up and down along the tooth surface. When the tooth is clean the floss will “squeak” as you slide it up and down along the tooth surface. Be very careful to not pull with too much force on your archwire. This process will take more time than flossing without braces. Therefore, Dr. Boyd recommends that you floss one quadrant per night. In that way, you will floss your entire mouth once every 4 days. If your gums are not healthy, they may bleed the first few days you floss. Remember that consistent brushing and flossing will result in a great orthodontic smile!