Two things you're proud of / not proud of.

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#1 Post by **bracketed** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 5:46 pm

Two things I'm proud of:
-I've never had to use wax. (Sucks, because I have 3 containers of it)
-I always brush at least twice a day.

Two things I'm not proud of:
-I hardly ever use salt water rinses.
-I rarely floss. (I find it way too time consuming)

#2 Post by **totalwise** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 5:55 pm

I can relate to almost all of that.

I have never used wax, well maybe waaaaay at the beginning, when I was overkeen, but I soon realised that I could handle the pain, and that I'd rather expereince the gum pains than go through the pain of putting on a new piece of wax after every time I snacked.

I always brush for at least twice a day, but the recommened amount is actually 3 times a day (well for us ceramics anyway). I followed this advice religiously when I first started wearing braces, but now I can't be bothered. I drink coke like an alcoholic, eat chocolate, sugary cakes, biscuits and what not. The brace marks are all going to come off eventually anyway.

As for salt water rinses? Are you for real. I almost drowned in that stuff when I was at the seaside a month ago. I'm not gargling in that!

Oh also, YOU MUST FLOSS. This is where I differ with you, seriously, if you don't floss, you will get bad breath. I know its a pain, But you need to floos you teeth especially the frony ones which I guess are a bit easier to do anyway.

Get yourself some floss aids which help you thread the floss through your archwire.

peace.

#3 Post by **totalwise** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 6:12 pm

Kiwi I'm pretty sure you are allowed to take out your elastics when you are eating, they're only going to be out for a couple of hours a day anyway.

I don't know how your ligs are like, but my ligs are stretched out over 3 teeth diagonally. It is impossible to eat with them on.

#4 Post by **jaswi** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 6:48 pm

Hey kiwi, what config is your class III elastics? I'll be getting those eventually and wanna know where they hook up

oh, and sorry for the threadjacking

#5 Post by **lionfish** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:48 pm

Two things I'm proud of:

* Generally not lumbering non-braced friends and family with my braces trials and trivia
* Not letting braces change my lifestyle

Two things I'm not proud of:

* Every now and then not flossing before I go to bed
* Looking at, but not using the flouride paste I spend $30 on a few months ago.

KK, I have to confess that I removed my elastics when out to dinner with my niece and her boyfriend last week and felt very guilty about it too. But I'm getting better; today I left them in when out to lunch with friends and discreetly replaced them when they broke free (as they so love to do when I'm eating).

#6 Post by **jaswi** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 12:12 am

[quote="KK]they go from my upper first molars to my lower canine ... quite a stretch.[quote]
I guess I'm awhile away from that configuration at least. Once I get my lowers on(next month I think) they are putting a spring across my right lower canine and the incisor next to it to make room for the rotated canine to come into place.

#7 Post by **Lisa65** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 2:38 am

Two things I'm proud of:

* Not letting braces change my lifestyle
* Surviving my mini-screw implant tribulations without saying "f*** this, I've had enough"

Two things I'm not proud of:
* Not getting this done at 20 when i was offered the chance
* The fact that I'll never have super-white teeth unless I give up the cigs!

#8 Post by **ivo7** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:27 am

+ I'm proud of my decision to get braces. It was easy decision.
+ More difficult is to live with mouth full with metal and to look like a child among your colleagues.
My only business is to communicate face to face with a lot of people.
However, Iâ€™m proud that I sustain this abasement in the name of the upshot.
- I donâ€™t use floss every day, but I intend to.

- My lifestyle was changed drastically. Iâ€™ve reduced the worldly pleasures,
but I always say : ,Now Iâ€™m 29 and when Iâ€™m 31 Iâ€™ll be another man.â€™

p.s. KK, this banana you use so many times is really funny.

#9 Post by **LoobyLou** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 1:00 pm

I'm proud of:

*Going through this 2nd time around in the name of straight teeth
*Wearing them generally as my teeth and smile are very important to me

I'm not proud of:

*My orthodontist's lack of communication
*Not brushing my teeth after every snack between meals

LoobyLou x

#10 Post by **LoobyLou** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 1:00 pm

I'm proud of:

*Going through this 2nd time around in the name of straight teeth
*Wearing them generally as my teeth and smile are very important to me

I'm not proud of:

*My orthodontist's lack of communication
*Not brushing my teeth after every snack between meals

LoobyLou x

#11 Post by **NotBob1** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 1:13 pm

Proud of:

1.) The fact that I am wearing my elastics even a bit more than I was told to, including the one in Loobylou's picture!! (getting used to it!)

2.) Taking better care of my teeth while in braces for the second time.

Not proud of:

1.) The small de-calcification marks from my lack of dental hygeine as a 17 year old. I keep thinking that they are getting bigger, but they really are not.

2.) Getting out of the habit of flossing from time to time even though I use my Sonicare, Quick-Pik and Phos-Flur.

Does anyone else feel that the novelty of this whole braces routine wears off after the first six months? I know I have that feeling.....It was devastating, then kinda funky and cool, now it's annoying and I want them gone.......

#12 Post by **jcdamon3** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 1:46 pm

1) I am proud of figuring out that I need to floss every day before anyone ever had to get after me about it ( I guess I had an epiphany)

2) I am proud that I have kept my cleaning routine since getting braces and that my dentist at the last visit said my gums look very healthy

---------

1) Not proud that sometimes I don't brush after lunch (like right now)
2) Maybe not, not proud, but kicking myself that I didn't wake about about the wearing down of my teeth sooner.

#13 Post by **fitchick** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 2:15 pm

Proud of:

1) Extremely proud of finally getting my teeth sorted out, even though I have a dreaded fear of dentists!
2) Proud of cleaning 5 times a day after everything I eat

Not Proud of:

1) Taking almost 30yrs to be brave enough to make the decision to get braced.
2) Not flossing regularly enough.

Julie

#14 Post by **Dramagyrl** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:15 pm

I'm proud I finally bucked up and decided to get the braces despite the cost. The sooner to make the decision the better. I also had plenty of people speak against me doing it, and I did what was important to me.

I'm also proud I'm taking such better care of my teeth. Brushing, etc. As a child, I was notorious for lack of care and as an adult, I used to just brush in the mornings so my teeth looked "not grimy" to be at work. Now I actually care about the future of my teeth.

I'm not proud that I didn't get more information beforehand. I jumped for the clear brackets with a theory of them being different than they actually are. Now I'm having issues dealing with them, getting used to them, etc. They also look pretty stained on my already semi-stained teeth, so they are not nearly as flattering as they would be with the contrast of metal brackets.

I'm not proud that I'm lazy. I'm always so tired at night that I sometimes skip the flossing to get down earlier. I know better, but I always have an excuse about it and need to work on some self discipline

#15 Post by **bracketed** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 9:29 pm

Re flossing bracketed ... it's time consuming I agree ... but think of it this way ... not only does it help keep your breath fresh, it's the main way to look after your gums and prevent gum disease. Gums hold your teeth ... do you really want to go through ortho treatment, to develop gum disease and loose your teeth. Ok ... I guess this means you'd have no probs with retention ... but is it worth that price for a bit extra time once a day

You convinced me to floss every day, KK.
If last night was anything of an example, I actually flossed every single tooth!

Thanks!