nuna wrote:Lorsa, extra water inteake is good but probably the bathroom breaks are more frequent too! and not only to brush the teeth:) I will remember your tip regarding water swishing!
It is nice your husband is 'helping out' at meals. I hope my boyfriend will be supportive too and embrace me getting braces. I hope I wont get too grumpy with pain and will be able to get into living with braces routing quickly. Have you got used to having braces after 7 weeks or does it still feel like something new? Apart from meals and cleaning routine is there any other things one has to change after getting braces? Make up routine?
Anyone tell me if I am overthinking and overpreparing for brace o day:)
Ah, yes, the bathroom breaks are definitely more frequent! And my poor husband doesn't really have much of a choice in whether or not to help out, since I am constantly asking him "do I have stuff in my braces?" and baring my teeth to him, whether he likes it or not, ha ha! And I don't think you are overthinking / overpreparing for brace day -- I did a lot of planning beforehand and still find I am learning/discovering a lot new things.
My absolute worst, grumpiest time was the first few hours. I had taken the week off from work and got my braces installed on a Wednesday morning. By the time I got home I was thinking "What the #*$#@&&!!! was I THINKING??? WHAT HAVE I DONE TO MYSELF????!!!" I was MISERABLE. When my husband came home a few hours later he needed only to take one look at my face and he said "Ohhhh......someone is NOT happy." He looked so serious that it made me *almost* smile, and then I thought maybe I could get through this...after all. it *was* my choice to do it, and it *is* only temporary, right?
I stayed pretty miserable for the first few days - couldn't figure out how or what to eat, couldn't get into a comfortable sleeping position, the inside of my mouth felt like it was all cut to ribbons, I kept biting my tongue accidentally (ouch!) and felt I couldn't speak clearly. At first, I survived on pudding, jello, milkshakes, etc. After a few days I realized I would not starve, I figured out how to sleep, my mouth toughened up like they said it would (plus I quickly learned to use wax while sleeping so my braces wouldn't cut my cheek when they pressed into it) and I realized everyone could understand me, especially if I took the time to try to speak clearly. It did take me a few days to get over the self-consciousness of them and stop covering my mouth all the time. And I still bite my tongue occasionally, but not nearly as much. It is getting more nimble I guess!
Makeup routine and all other routines are unchanged and don't take me any longer than before. But definitely plan to spend a LOT more time on your dental hygiene. Before braces, I used to just brush then rinse with mouthwash in the morning and in the evening before bed. It was 5 minutes each time.
With braces, I spend a good 10-15 minutes after *each* meal, because of course I have to clean after each meal. First I swish/rinse with water, then I brush, then I waterpik using a mixture of about 2/3 warm water and 1/3 mouthwash. (At first I used plain water in the waterpik and then rinsed with mouthwash afterwards, but I found it burned my mouth too much. Don't know if I was more sensitive with braces, or if it was because I was doing it 3 times a day. In any case, I find it much more refreshing and "clean" feeling to use a warm water/mouthwash mixture in the waterpik. I do go through a lot of mouthwash but figure it's worth it.)
I use string floss only if/when there is something that the waterpik can't dislodge, but that has only happened one time, at the very start when I was less proficient with the waterpik. I *try* to floss with string floss at least once a week. I didn't floss with string for the first 4 weeks because I was too tender, so I just used the waterpik, and during that time, my dentist and ortho both commented on how clean I was keeping my gums and to keep up the good work. They had no idea I wasn't using string floss, and when I told them they just said to keep up what I was doing and try to use the string floss once or twice a week, so that's what I do. It takes me a good 20-30 minutes to thread that stupid floss around every tooth, so I have to really reserve a block of time just for it.
Then of course, after all this I usually have to dry myself off, plus most of the mirror and countertop. For some reason, my brushing is much messier since getting braces - I tend to end up with toothpaste foam all over my chin and sometimes cheeks. I can't really swish water around my whole mouth like I used to, now I have to rinse one quadrant at a time. And be warned, it takes a bit of practice to master the waterpik! At first you will find yourself accidentally spraying the mirror, the wall, the window, your eyes ... you get the idea. And even now that I've pretty much mastered it, every now and then the braces will cause the water to ricochet out of my mouth at an unexpected angle and I'll find myself having to mop up.
Now, after 7 weeks, I have to say I don't really forget I have braces unless I am really engrossed in something, but I am definitely used to them ... I guess most times I *almost* forget them, if that makes sense. I have some new habits because of them: For example, I am currently wearing elastics to bring my upper and lower molars together, and I really want them to work fast, so I find myself opening and closing my mouth a lot when I'm alone because I want to get those teeth moving! And I never used to use straws when I drank liquids, but now I often will use a straw for my iced tea or coffee, just because I really don't want to get my teeth dirty and have to go clean them. And I try to avoid liquids that will stain, like pop and red wine...but I'm getting tired of white wine, so that may change soon, ha ha!
Whew! I'm a motormouth tonight, sorry! But I don't think you can overplan...do as much preparation as you can but be aware there will still be lots to learn afterwards. Take painkillers for the pain if you need to. And this board is full of good information and good people, so don't be afraid to ask! And remember: it won't be forever!
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