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Er, i have a bit of a confession and i want to know how much its going to ruin my teeth... I'm a bit 'anti-braces' at the moment, i.e. i'm at the stage at the moment when i feel like i'm fed up of my braces and the time can't go quick enough. However, its got to the point where i can't be bothered to brush my teeth properly.
I've got a manual orthodontic toothbrush which i use really well, i brush for ages and get in all the nooks and crannies, as well as using a fluoride mouthwash every night. I've just got really slack with my teeny Tepe brushes, going around my brackets etc. I started doing it once every other night (on top of my normal brushing) but now its like once every good few days. I just haven't got the motivation and i don't know what to do? Am i going to end up with marks?
Hmmm...I didn't know you were supposed to use those little "tree brush" things every day. I just thought you used them if you couldn't get something dislodged with regular methods--and that's how the ortho assistant explained their use to me on my brace day. I'll confess that I have NEVER used one. I went for a cleaning a few weeks ago and my hygienist said that my teeth looked great, and that I was doing a good job with oral hygiene.
I used 'em religiously in the beginning, but yeah, towards the end it was only when I couldn't get everything with a regular brushing. Not condoning or condemning, just sayin' I feel your pain!
All Metal Uppers and Lowers - brackets placed with OrthoCAD
Braces on 2/1/2007, Removed 2/13/2008, now in Essix retainers.
Hi skints--I feel your pain I am so DONE with these things on most days...but I still have some work to do. As for the proxy brushes, I use them when something is stuck under a wire, and every once in a loooong while I use them to brush around my brackets. I know that some religiously use them (and that used to be you!) but I'm always praised for my good oral hygiene by both the ortho and the dentist. Of course everyone's mouth is different, but if you've always had good oral hygiene then maybe it won't be a problem? Not sure, but whenever I have a bracket repositioned I don't have any marks on my teeth. Maybe that's a good question to ask your ortho at your next appt
You'll be fine! If you're doing an excellent job with your toothbrush and using a fluoride rinse...hope you're flossing??...you're doing a good job. I used the little brushes only once in a while.
After you're done with your routine, take a good, close look at your teeth. Especially above the brackets at the gum line. If that's clean, you're golden!
You won't get marks. that rarely happens and when it does it's usually due to fairly bad hygiene.
Jennielee-my ortho actually told me off for flossing! Must be an english thing...but yes i do use fluoride toothpast and mouthwash
I just thought everyone on here had religious plans they do like, brush with toothbrush, brush with proxy brushes, go round each bracket with an interdental brush dipped in hydrogen peroxide, floss, mouthwash....
I only do two parts of that! When i first got my braces, i was so excited i bought every toothbrush going! But now i just can't be bothered to do it all...it takes soo much time, and getting up at 6am means it cuts into my sleeping time...
I'm just really worried i will have lovely straight teeth but with horrible marks on them...
I'm sure you'll be fine Sarah. I doubt many of us carry on a religiously intensive regime of cleaning after the novelty wears off. Like you say, it just takes too much time! If I do absolutely everything - floss, proxy brush, peroxide, scrubbing under Nance appliance, toothpaste, mouthwash etc it takes me about 20 minutes, and I begrudge spending that much time every night attending to my wretched teeth I'm surprised you were told not to floss though. My dentist said it was a good thing to do wherever possible. I don't do it every day but probably every other day.
I don't do the little proxy brush round the brackets every single day either. Sometimes I just can't be bothered. I probably do that maybe 3 days a week.
Hey lisa,
Yeah, my ortho said to stop! Can you believe it?! I took up flossing when i got my braces to be good(!), cos i really need a good reason to keep somethiing up (i get bored easily..) So i had an adjustment and mentioned one of my molars was hurting when i flossed (i thought he'd be delighted i flossed-all the other patients are teenagers, i've yet to see an adult)..so he said, "which teeth do you floss?" and i said "all of them", to which he said, "well how do you do that?", and i said "i've got special floss!" Anyhoo...he said to stop cos i might "break my braces". What a muppet. So after all that flossing, i stopped cos, i need a reason TO floss, not a reason not to. So now i can't be bothered.
Wish i still did it, i'm seeing the hygienist necxt friday and if i start again now, my gums will look all inflamed
I go through phases with the Tepe brushes too. I used to use 3 different sizes and also flossing every single night. Now I do a full routine about every 3rd night and the other nights use the little brushes only on the areas where I know I need extra care (I know from using disclosing tablets, it's always the same 3 or 4 nooks or crannies).
Lately I brought up my super floss to the computer and I floss as I surf it's easy enough to do that with super floss!
2 upper 1st bicuspids extracted
Uppers braced (metal), molar bands upper & lower 25 May 07
Lowers braced 22 Oct 07
Next adjustment 21 Apr 2008
Estimated brace time 2.5 years
Lots of sugary snacks especially those that stay in the mouth for a long time are bad - boiled sweets are the worst apparently. Give the plaque bacteria little they can feed on and it's not so bad. Chocolate is particularly bad I think.
I've always been told to floss daily, which I've become really lazy with. So I use my Sonicare and floss and use the interprox. brush a couple times a week. If I'm feeling really good, I will use my Waterpik on top of the flossing. Don't worry about being so lax, as long as you're brushing and throwing in a couple flossings, you should be fine.
Upper and lower 1st premolars extracted
Uppers braced 4/6/07 & Lowers braced 4/20/07
ceramic brackets and rectangular arch wires
Est. term: 30-36 months
De-banded: 3/04/09 w/ LBR and U&L Essix
I have to say I'm the same as skintz...I just tend to brush as I always have done except twice as often and with an ortho-brush. If they *look* clean once I'm done, then that's it for me. Saying that, I asked my ortho what he thought of the condition of my teeth and metalwork and he said I was doing great. I'm not trying to encourage laziness, just saying use common sense and take care and you'll be reet!
I am so DONE with these things on most days...but I still have some work to do. As for the proxy brushes, I use them when something is stuck under a wire, and every once in a loooong while I use them to brush around my brackets. I know that some religiously use them (and that used to be you!) but I'm always praised for my good oral hygiene by both the ortho and the dentist. Of course everyone's mouth is different, but if you've always had good oral hygiene then maybe it won't be a problem? Not sure, but whenever I have a bracket repositioned I don't have any marks on my teeth. Maybe that's a good question to ask your ortho at your next appt 
that rarely happens and when it does it's usually due to fairly bad hygiene.
I'm surprised you were told not to floss though. My dentist said it was a good thing to do wherever possible. I don't do it every day but probably every other day.
it's easy enough to do that with super floss!
