▁an ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁investigation , ▁the ▁US ▁government ▁stopped ▁recomm ending ▁fl oss ing ▁in ▁their ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁U . S . ▁di et ary ▁gu idel ines , ▁not ing ▁that ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁fl oss ing ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁research ed ▁as ▁required . ▁ ▁Fl oss ▁for ▁orth od ont ic ▁app li ances ▁Orth od ont ic ▁app li ances , ▁such ▁as ▁brackets , ▁w ires , ▁and ▁bands , ▁can ▁har bor ▁pla que ▁with ▁more ▁vir ul ent ▁changes ▁in ▁b acter ial ▁composition , ▁which ▁can ▁ultimately ▁cause ▁a ▁reduction ▁in ▁period ont al ▁health ▁as ▁indicated ▁by ▁increased ▁ging ival ▁re cess ion , ▁ble eding ▁on ▁prob ing , ▁and ▁pla que ▁ret ention ▁measurements . ▁Furthermore , ▁fixed ▁app li ances ▁makes ▁pla que ▁control ▁more ▁challeng ing ▁and ▁restrict s ▁the ▁natural ▁clean ing ▁action ▁of ▁the ▁tongue , ▁lips , ▁and ▁che ek ▁to ▁remove ▁food ▁and ▁b acter ial ▁de br is ▁from ▁to oth ▁surfaces , ▁and ▁also ▁creates ▁new ▁pla que ▁st agn ation ▁areas ▁that ▁stim ulate ▁the ▁colon isation ▁of ▁path ogen ic ▁b acter ia . ▁▁ ▁Pat ients ▁under going ▁orth od ont ic ▁treatment ▁may ▁be ▁recommended ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁of ▁pla que ▁control ▁through ▁not ▁only ▁cons cient ious ▁to oth br ushing , ▁but ▁also ▁proxim al ▁surface ▁clean ing ▁via ▁inter d ental ▁a ids , ▁with ▁dent al ▁fl oss ▁being ▁the