A permanent retainer, often called a bonded or lingual wire, is a thin piece of metal fixed to the backside of your front teeth after orthodontic treatment. This wire prevents teeth from shifting back to their original positions, ensuring your smile remains straight. While effective, this fixed wire creates a barrier that makes traditional flossing nearly impossible. Plaque and food debris collect easily around and under the wire, requiring specialized cleaning methods to maintain gum health and prevent decay.
Water Flossers and Oral Irrigators
Water flossers bypass the threading challenge by using a pressurized stream of water to clean between teeth and under the retainer wire. This method is effective because the pulsating water reaches areas difficult for string floss to access, dislodging plaque and food particles. The technology uses hydrodynamic forces to flush away debris, which can be less abrasive on the gums than manual flossing.
To use an oral irrigator effectively, fill the reservoir with lukewarm water for comfort; consider adding non-alcoholic mouthwash for an antimicrobial boost. If you are a new user, begin on the lowest pressure setting and gradually increase it once your gums are accustomed to the sensation. Lean over the sink and partially close your lips around the tip to prevent splashing.
Direct the tip of the flosser at a 90-degree angle to the tooth surface, focusing the stream where the wire meets the tooth and along the gumline. Move the tip slowly from tooth to tooth, pausing briefly to thoroughly clean the interproximal space and underneath the retainer. Use an orthodontic tip if available, as these are designed for targeted cleaning around fixed appliances.
Specialized Floss for Bonded Retainers
Specialized floss products, such as those with a stiffened end, eliminate the need for a separate floss threader for manual cleaning. This floss has three parts: a stiff end, a thick, spongy middle section, and a regular strand of floss. The stiffened tip acts as a built-in needle, allowing you to guide the floss under the retainer wire easily.
Push the stiff end of the floss under the retainer wire, directly above the gumline, between two adjacent teeth. Once the stiff section is through, pull the floss until the spongy middle segment is positioned in the gap. The spongy portion is thicker than traditional floss, designed to clean the area with more surface contact and efficiently remove plaque buildup around the wire and tooth surface.
Use a gentle “shoe-shining” motion with the spongy section, moving the floss up and down against the sides of both teeth. This cleans the interproximal surface and the area surrounding the bonded wire. After cleaning, pull the floss out and repeat the threading process for the next space, using a new section of the spongy floss to avoid transferring bacteria.
Interdental Brushes and Picks
Interdental brushes and soft picks offer a simple, mechanical approach to cleaning the areas surrounding the retainer wire. These tools resemble tiny bottle brushes or flexible rubber picks designed to fit into small spaces between teeth and orthodontic appliances. They provide a direct way to scrub the visible surfaces of the teeth and the wire itself.
Success depends on selecting the correct size brush or pick, as they come in a wide range of diameters. The tool should fit snugly between the teeth and under the wire without being forced, which could damage the gums or the retainer’s bonding agent. Since spacing varies, you may need to use multiple sizes.
Gently insert the brush or pick at a slight angle underneath the retainer wire and use a soft, in-and-out motion to clean the tooth surface and the wire. This mechanical action effectively removes food particles and dislodges plaque from the wire’s surface. While excellent for cleaning the immediate area around the appliance, they serve as a complementary tool since they may not reach as deeply into the gumline as string floss or a water flosser.