Braced yesterday and having problems. Help!

[my december]

So, they're finally on. I'm wavering between, "Oh, they're actually kind of cute" and "What the hell was I thinking?" I figure I'll get used to it though and will come to consider my metal mouth normal.

Yesterday was pretty easy... probably too easy. I didn't really have any pain yesterday, just started to get really irritated by them. If I could, I probably would have taken them off my teeth by the end of the night. I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been punched in the mouth though. My front teeth are sooooooo tender. But that too will pass.

I can't seem to get used to my bite turbos though. The tip of my tongue feels absolutely shredded from hitting them. For those of you who have had them, how long did it take you to adjust to them? How long did you wear them? They do get easier to tolerate, right?

And flossing is a nightmare. I was given the threader floss as part of my little care package, but it's only fitting between a few teeth. I've tried multiple ways. I tried threading it right between the teeth and threading in under the wire then trying to move it up like you do unbraced. Neither is working between these teeth. I tried my own normal floss, and again, no go. I've looked to see if there's any extra cement blocking the path, but I don't see any. My two upper front teeth are impossible to floss. I wasn't sure if maybe the turbos have something to do with it on those two, but there are other problem areas too.

I can't get the little Christmas tree brushes under the wire in quite a few places either. So I just feel like I'm leaving so much of my mouth unclean.

I know it'll get easier as time goes on and the crowding untangles, but I just don't know what to do in the meantime.

[signingsunflower]

I just got braced today. They flossed my teeth for me and I am really glad they did because they had glued about 5 teeth together. There is no way I could have flossed these on my own. They had to take a little scraping device to get in between them. After they did that I can get floss through just fine now. I'm guessing that that might be the case with yours too. Did they floss your teeth for your before you left??

I also invested in a water pik. It was the best 40.00 I could have spent. It's really easy to get your teeth extra clean with that.

[almost50]

Just braced yesterday. Flossing was a pain last night, but better this morning--I guess you just gotta get the hang of it. They gave me these floss things with the threader attached which I gave up on after about 6 trys and shredding it in half each time. My teeth are so tight right now, that I don't even know if there's floss stuck between or if it's just the tension of my teeth. The little needle contraption with regular floss works better for me.

My braces feel tolerable. Still hurts to chew anything but not too irritating otherwise. The outsides are fine, but I find sticking a lot of wax on those inside brackets a godsend. It makes a world of difference.

But don't get me started on the disgusting process of eating. I'm scared to eat anything because it's such a mess cleaning it all out.

I'm on the fence as to whether this is a great diet or a horrible diet. I find myself wanting to snack and deciding it's not worth the work to clean it out of my braces. Yet on the other hand, salads and fresh fruit are so painful, but ice cream, beer, and other non healthy foods are so easy.

[Toni]

I've had my braces on for a month now and I can honestly say that flossing is still a hassle but it doesn't hurt anymore. At first my bottom front teeth were so sore I wanted to cry everytime I had to floss them, that lasted about 2 weeks, and tape is easier to get in between the tight teeth.

I have lost several pounds in the last month because I no longer snack between meals because the clean up is just not worth it.
I also eat less at meals because I eat slower since getting the braces but I'm not complaining...it's better for me anyway.

[signingsunflower]

Glad to hear things are better for both of you. My ortho told me I would wake up today in a lot of pain, but I didn't!!! They only real problems I've had are figuring out how to make wax stick and waking up last night because somehow I kept biting my cheek! Other than that...I already feel like I"m getting used to the funny things on my teeth. I'm grateful that they only did my upper arch to begin with. I can't get my lowers until they fix my major overbite.

I too waver in between aww...these aren't so bad....and then other times I am like what was I thinking? It's weird to think that these things are going to be in my mouth for 2 to 3 years! Wow! It sure will be worth it though!

[jjjmac]

Yeah, I've lost a bit of weight already - people have commented on it, and I tell them I'm on the most expensive, painful diet ever! They all say sign me up.... until I tell them what it is. haha (most people can't tell I'm having anything done at this point because I have brackets on and no wires until Nov. 6th, and I don't get brackets on my 4 front teeth top and bottom until a bit later on).

After I brush my teeth and get my wax on, I also think snacking is just too much of a hassle so I don't bother (unless it's ice cream).

[Danielle]

Keep working at everything--the flossing, the chewing, the pain, etc. It gets better and better and then you get a new wire or appliance added and you're set back a little bit but then you get used to it all over again. Good luck.