Metal Mouth Message Board

Have any of you had the backmost brackets installed later in your treatment? (not sure if this is a standard thing or no) Just went through it and it has made wearing braces that much more tedious. I have wear grooves and gouges being made now in my cheek where the wires and last brackets rub against the tissue. Any wax I put back there gets wet and falls off!

Most of all I can't even get the floss threaded through one of the backmost bracket wires without about 15 mins of false starts - that last tooth is just way back there and I have little access to move the stiff end through the wire - my cheek is in the way and I don't have much gum above to provide leeway. Does anyone have any tips on how to manipulate the thread back there? Been using Glide threader floss.

Oh god I am so wanting out of braces - the weariness of sores and cleaning has set in.

I am interested in hearing what people have to say about this as well, I may end up with them in the back and am nervous how I will take care of them and deal with it all.

I was told you get "used" to it and your mouth builds tissue to help with the places it rubs.

I also floss with threaders. When I do my back top molars, I point the little bitty end up toward the gums as I poke it in. When I do the bottom, I point the end away from my gums, toward the roof of my mouth. Regardless of top or bottom, if I'm doing the right side, I use my right hand to poke, and if my left side, the left hand to poke. Other hand grabs once I get it through. I leave about 1/4 inch of threader sticking above my thumb and forefinger. While holding the floss, I use those fingers to feel where the wire between the teeth is and situate the threader right on top of it. Then I move my fingers directly down from there until I feel the threader end slide beneath the wire, then poke up and grab the end with my other hand. I do the same thing for the bottom brackets except I put the end up toward the roof of my mouth. It sounds more complicated than it is. I promise you'll figure it out. I was really frustrated by those back molars when I first started with braces.

About wax, make sure you use a decent wad, but not too much (so helpful, I know, it'll come with experience ), and I find it works better to push it on from the back rather than the side of the tooth. That is, pretend like you're sticking it right on the end of a pokey wire and don't want to cover the bracket at all. It does come out covering the bracket if you use enough. Maybe you need higher quality wax, and are you sure you're not using silicone? Silicone won't stick if it's wet, and I don't know how you would ever get it dry enough all the way back there. Although I guess some folks do. More power to them.

Happy flossing!

I had my back brackets installed 4 months into my treatment. Flossing will become easier, I promise. Also, I highly recommend Plackers Orthopick Flosser for braces: these babies fit under the archwire and they allow me to floss without looking in the mirror! This makes flossing a breeze. Trust me on this. Why these aren't in every store is beyond me: I get them at Walmart but you can also buy them online.

samoorelaw wrote:I had my back brackets installed 4 months into my treatment. Flossing will become easier, I promise. Also, I highly recommend Plackers Orthopick Flosser for braces: these babies fit under the archwire and they allow me to floss without looking in the mirror! This makes flossing a breeze. Trust me on this. Why these aren't in every store is beyond me: I get them at Walmart but you can also buy them online.

Same story for me - went in for my 2nd or 3rd adjustment and the assistant said 'Oh, looks like we're adding a few more brackets today..'

I got them on day 1. Brackets on bottom molars, bands on top. Although I got all the discomfort upfront, at least my mouth has gotten used to it quickly.

Honestly, sometimes I don't floss the back. I just blast it with the Waterpik. Probably not ideal, but no complaints yet from the ortho. There's only so much one can deal with some days.

Crap! I'm due to get them this week. 6 mos in! Scared!

You guys rules - where would I be without this forum? In the pits of despondency no doubt!

Anyway @samoorelaw you really helped me tackle this one - I just got the Plackers and thank god, they work for those back braces. I breathed a huge sigh of relief last night when I didn't have to perform ortho gymnastics trying to thread floss through those hard to reach back braces anymore. My sanity is saved!

Also just as @siralos I recommend blasting them with a waterpik after a meal to get out all those hard to reach gobs of food that get caught. I can feel it but I cannot see it so the waterpik is the way to take care of it quickly.

pearlies wrote:You guys rules - where would I be without this forum? In the pits of despondency no doubt!

Anyway @samoorelaw you really helped me tackle this one - I just got the Plackers and thank god, they work for those back braces. I breathed a huge sigh of relief last night when I didn't have to perform ortho gymnastics trying to thread floss through those hard to reach back braces anymore. My sanity is saved!

Also just as @siralos I recommend blasting them with a waterpik after a meal to get out all those hard to reach gobs of food that get caught. I can feel it but I cannot see it so the waterpik is the way to take care of it quickly.

Just glad I can help. When I discovered the Plackers Orthopicks over a year ago, I was elated that my flossing time was reduced from 20 minutes to 2 minutes. I never use the traditional floss threaders/floss now and my dentist always tells me my hygiene with braces is impeccable: no cavities and my gums are actually in better shape now than they were pre-braces. I credit these Orthopicks and The Doctor's Brush Picks for that. http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/the-do ... 07-product

Another vote for: It gets better.

I don't even need to use threaders anymore...I can now floss, interdental, waterpik and brush in 15 minutes.

It will get better!

On your cheeks: Assuming you no longer have any raw sores, don't worry about the divots, calluses, and trenches being imprinted in your cheeks. They are harmless and will quickly go away when the braces come off.

Yesterday I had brackets added to my back bottom molars (10 months in), but I was already familiar with the test of patience that is flossing my top back molars. I picked up those Plackers flossers, but I still can't quite maneuver the pick way at the very back. Maybe I have a small mouth. Those picks will still be handy though, for flossing on the fly at work, school, etc.

But, ugh, my mouth is sore today.

I had bands put on my back molars a couple months ago. It was fine. I just now have 8 bands instead of 4. No real difference in care/maintenance and not much more pain either.

http://www.amazon.com/Glide-Threader-30 ... B001F51RBU

I use these in combination with a waterpik. It's so easy.

On your cheeks: Assuming you no longer have any raw sores, don't worry about the divots, calluses, and trenches being imprinted in your cheeks. They are harmless and will quickly go away when the braces come off.

Oh yes, I have some fabulous troughs and divots now. I even bite on my inner cheek on one side in the very back. I am relieved to hear this may not be a permanent feature.

I wish I could do my Glide threader floss in the back but I guess anatomy is different. The molars are way back there + the cheek is in the way + there is not alot of gum space to allow for maneuvering the stiff threader end.

Gosh I really can't wait until this is over - I think I have half a year yet. Back brackets scraping up my cheeks and these dang elastics are really cutting into enjoyment of life. Sometimes I wish I had just veneered the hell out of my mouth and gotten it over with. Heresy, I know

MrsCharisma wrote:Another vote for: It gets better.

I don't even need to use threaders anymore...I can now floss, interdental, waterpik and brush in 15 minutes.

It will get better!

Ditto. The flossing is now shockingly easy..