Colour of mouthwash

[Curry queen]

I am about to get ceramic brackets and I am going to try the clear ligatures to start with to see how I get on with regard to staining (as I like red wine etc). I'm going to try to stick to white wine, hot water instead of tea (or make it very milky) and avoid curry until a couple of days before my appointment.

But, I wondered about the colour in mouthwash. The one I use currently is Listerine and it's a mauve colour. I'm based in the UK so not sure if it would be the same in the US. Would more traditional blue mouthwashes be safer when it comes to staining ligatures?

[sara2280]

I have ceramic brackets top and bottom. I too was worried about staining of the ligatures. I drank my coffee with a straw, ate very little tomato based sauces, did not drink soda or iced tea, etc. I brush after every meal and despite my best efforts, my ligs still ended up a gross yellow over time. From what my ortho's office told me it just happens. I did this for 3 months. Once I got over my own self consciousness of having braces as an adult I got a color, periwinkle to be exact. Even this changed to grey over time but I will say I worried a whole lot less about staining. I have hot pink ligs now. Although, I am going to get clear again here at the end of the month due to going to a wedding. So we'll see how this goes.

As for the color of your mouthwash, I use Listerine as well. I have not seen mauve though. Is it cinnamon flavored? I have used blue and green without any trouble so far. I have read posts and things online that say green mouthwash stains but I haven't experience this yet.

I'm sure if your ligs get stained you could probably call your ortho's office and see if you can pop in to have them changed.

Good luck!!

[Curry queen]

Thanks Sara, I'll just have to wait and see how I get on.

I will probably do the same as you - stick to clear ligs to start with so that all my colleagues can get over the fact that I have braces and then try some colours a few months down the line. Really, it's only work that bothers me about having discreet braces, and it's not even what my colleagues themselves think, its more that I am worried about what my bosses will think the clients' reactions will be. I'm sure the clients themselves won't give a hoot but I'm a lawyer and I don't want to be frowned upon in my career progression. I know that sounds silly and that crooked teeth aren't a great look either. Once I'm confident in my workplace, I'm sure I'll start experimenting.

[sara2280]

Curry queen,
Totally get it. When I got my braces on I was interviewing for positions. What I've found is that most people do not care. And with the clear ceramic braces most people don't even know you have them unless they look at you really closely. When I got the hot pink ligatures, I had a friend ask me if I got my braces off because she couldn't even tell they were there. I was surprised how much the hot pink was not noticeable from a distance. Just be prepared to get the occasional question about them. I am six months in and I still get questions from time to time. Although I have a lot of friends who look or act like I have had them for a very long time. Or that I've always had them. It is weird how they sort of become a part of you. I will honestly say that I did not believe that when people said that on here, but it's true.

[sally1988]

I'm also worried about this (I get mine on tomorrow - also in UK) also the two mouthwashes I currently use say not to use it at the same time as brushing or drinking tea/coffee - Corsodyl and a blue colgate anti cavities one... does anyone know of a 'brushing friendly' mouthwash I can use? or even why you shouldn't use these ones after brushing.

I've read several times that adults get on well with silver bands even with ceramic brackets as they stain less - worth a try!

[cs2thecox]

The not using at the same time as brushing is because of the flouride content - too much is toxic.
It's also the thing that stops you getting cavities...

And Corsodyl stains no matter what you do. Eludril stains less and does the same thing with a slightly different variant of the active ingredient. (My hygienist used to make me use it when my gums weren't so great.)

I ignore the flouride warning and just mouthwash after brushing anyway. Nothing bad seems to have happened so far! Just make sure you're not swallowing your toothpaste.

[Curry queen]

Interesting points about not using moushwash at the same time as brushing. My hygienest almost said the opposite of yours in that she said the mouthwash is more dilute than toothpaste so it dilutes the concentration of the flouride in the toothpaste. I said to her that doesn't make any sense to me as I would always rinse my mouth with water after brushing anyway and she seemed to indicate that you aren't meant to rinse your mouth with water afterwards! If I didn't do that, my mouth would end up feeling too chalky from the toothpaste - am I the only one! So I still rinse with water as usual and then use mouthwash to counteract the water!

[sally1988]

i also used to rinse with water but was told not to at my first hygienist appointment a couple of years ago she said if you don't rinse then the ingredients in the toothpaste continue to protect the teeth so I stopped and just got used to the chalkiness!
although I have found a Listerine clear coloured no cavity mouthwash in sainsburys this week that recommends use twice a day straight after brushing - just don't rinse with water after this for the same reason!

[Curry queen]

Yes, I use the Listerine purple one and it says to use after brushing That's great news about Listerine clear because going back to my original post, I was worried about it staining the clear bands so I'll certainly look out for that one, thanks for the heads up!

[sally1988]

The actual name is listerine advanced defence cavity guard mouthwash and it tastes nice too, have you tried flossing yet? I havnt dared!

[SpottedPickle]

The Listerine Zero collection is supposed to be awesome for no staining.

[Curry queen]

Thanks everyone! I've found out that I won't get my brackets until October as I have to have 3 months with a quad helix first (metal springy thing to widen arch). I currently have spacers in and will have the quad fitted in 2 weeks. The spacers haven't given me any pain but it does make me wonder whether they are doing anything or whether my teeth are rock firm!

[sally1988]

Good Luck curry queen hope it all works out for you