Metal Mouth Message Board

Hello all! Well, I got some more torture devices. Just when I got used to the 6 molar bands. Now, I got my nance/bite plate. Holy moly!

I am keeping positive and looking towards the end result but geesh! I can't talk clearly and I keep gagging on the thing. AND my teeth don't meet any more so it's hard to eat.

So, anyone had something similiar? How do you clean this thing? It hits the front teeth... how do I clean them? Please tell me that I'll get used to it! Please tell me that I'll be able to talk soon.

Tammy

Hi Tammy!

Yikes... a bite plate does not sound fun! What is that anyway?? I got a pendulum device on two fridays ago, and I really thought it was AWFUL complete TORTURE... i couldn't eat... constantly gagging.. but guess what? It gets better.. and now only 1.5 weeks later I barely notice it! Hang in there

I have a bite plate too. It definatly takes some getting used to, in both eating and talking. It took me a while to figure out chewing, since there wasn't much teeth surface touching each other, but I chew pretty well now. I also had a huge lisp at first and one of my roomies thought it was hilarious and would imitate me any time he thought he could get away with it. I still have problems with saying "s", and I cannot bite through anything very tough (ex: had a sonic burger for dinnner: biting thru meat and bread was easy, pickle was impossible)

As for cleaning I wondered at that too at first. I basically cannot floss my front teeth at all, except a few of the back ones. I try to brush as much of the surface of the plastic part and metal wire part as possible, then use this niftly little syringe (no needle - but it has a thin curved end that fits well in my mouth to get under and around things)they gave me to flush anything that is between my palette and the plastic. I use the little brush-thing (almost Christmas-tree looking bristly thing?)to clean between the wire part and the inside of my teeth. I figure the salt water rinses will kill any little germs that decide to hide up there, and occasionaly fill my little syringe with half water half mouthwash to clean things (I suppose you could just use mouthwash normally, but I hate the taste of it)

It takes some getting used to, but you'll get the hang of it eventually.
Good luck!

hi Tammy
I don't have a bite plate but I do have a Nance, and I would say it took about a week to get used to it. i don't really notice it now.

To clean under it - that's not always easy but personally I've found that swishing/spitting forcibly with warm salt water and then mouthwash, and the occasional poke underneath with an interdental brush will dislodge most gunk and keep it feeling fresh.
Some people manage to thread floss under theirs but when I tried it I almost choked on the end of it, so gave up on that idea.

I managed to source some extra long interdental brushes made by Unodent, which have a long enough handle so that the brush part will reach right under the Nance from front to back, and I've found them invaluable for giving it a really good scrub underneath.

Oh Thank you for letting me know ways to clean it! And reassurring me that I will get used to it pretty soon!

I can see that cleaning will be a bit of an issue but I'll try all your suggestions. I don't want to get my teeth fixed and then have the front ones rotting out! I did try putting floss under there last night. I could do that but I know that once my top braces are on it will be nearly impossible to do that. Plus it was really hard to get the floss in there. So, I'll try the other ideas... rinsing and see if I can find a long interdental brush and I love the syringe idea. I'll see what I can come up with. Thanks so much!

I do need to practice talking. I talk for a living! Yesterday after I got it I hid in my office and didn't talk much to anyone. But part of that was becuase every time I talked it made me gag on this thing. Oh well... I figure that soon it will be no big deal...

Tammy

Sorry that they are giving you so much trouble Tammy. Is it any better today?
Do you have a waterpick? Our ortho highly recommended one for my son Matthew to keep the expander clean.
Hang in there.... one step closer to your goal of gorgeous teeth!

Hi Kim,
It's a little better today. It's kinda annoying me but I can talk a bit better. I really hope this lisp goes away soon though. Hard to have when your profession demands that you talk! LOL.

I have to get a waterpick yet. It's on my Christmas list. I'm sure that will help. My main concern right now, other than it being very aggravating is that I'm worried about my teeth. This thing hits the front 4 teeth and I can not brush behind those teeth. I'm really worried about decay! Plus, it has actually pushed my teeth out more. Not what I was hoping for. Anyway, I really am mostly concerned about the teeth decaying as I can't brush properly or floss at all.

Tammy

Tammy, I think you may get some temporary flaring of your front teeth with a bite plate, but once your bite has changes enough so that the lower teeth don't hit the top of your mouth anymore, you should be able to have it removed or at least made smaller. I guess from what you've said that your bite plate is fixed and can't be removed for cleaning?

If you can't brush up there, make sure you use a fluoride mouth wash, and ask your ortho about it next time you go. There are special mouthwashes with extra fluoride which are prescription only, and maybe your ortho will give you one of those if you're worried about not being able to brush those teeth thoroughly.

Lisa, thanks for the suggestion regarding the flouride rinse. Yes, this is permanent (which is probably for the best cause I'd have had this thing out a LOT. LOL) Thanks for letting me know the flaring is normal. Lots to learn here!

Tammy