Metal Mouth Message Board

Use it?

I guess something like this is a good idea. Regular Listerine mouthwash doesn't do what PLAX does.
What are you using other than regular good brushing and cleanings to keep the plaque, tartar down off your teeth and around your brackets?
What are the best liquid products for keeping things squeeky clean?

Watch out for things containing sodium lauryl sulfate. It can cause canker sores in some people (like me!). Your post jogged my memory because the only time I've had a problem with canker sores in the 16 months that I've had my braces was the time I used Plax (well, actually, it was a cheap, generic Plax).

I use Dentyl PH fluoride mouthwash every night. It's one of those "clumping" ones so it shows up all the bits and pieces of plaque which might have been missed during brushing.

I've also started using Colgate Gel-Kam which is a fluoride gel you brush on last thing at night and leave on (you don't rinse it off). The last thing I want is to spend thousands on getting my teeth straightened only to find they are all rotten at the end of it.

Crest Pro-Health also is a lumping mouthwash. I don't feel clean unless I've used it prior to brushing. It's also alcohol free so it's a lot easier to keep in your mouth than many of the competitors because there's almost no burning sensation.

I'd also been skipping on my waterpik usage, and had started to get tender gums. I used it again for the first time in a month or so and had forgotten how much cleaner everything felt.

I definitely recommend both of these (or similar products) to anyone with braces.

i use it in the am and pm. i like it. i am not sure if it's working since i am relatively newly braced but i figure it can't hurt. i've not had any canker sores etc. from it.

Betty, that's a great point - sometimes seemingly innocuous mouth rinses can do harm, especially if they're overused.

I don't use rinses of any kind in my mouth (that includes salt water) and have had no problem with canker sores either. I did ask my ortho about using a fluoride rinse when I got braces but he said it wasn't necessary (maybe because I have almost zero tartar problems).