Metal Mouth Message Board

I am 1 week post op, wired shut & biting on a splint, and I have to ask (gross as it is), did anyone else have issues with being unable to brush their teeth? I'm worried about getting cavities and the health of my gums, and my tongue feels disgusting. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do besides the mouthwash from the hospital?

Also, did anyone else have issues sleeping at night? I don't know if it's because I'm less active and kind of just sitting around all day, but these days I can't fall asleep and when I do, it's only for a few hours. It wouldn't be the antibiotics or motrin... I'm guessing it could also be because of having to sleep sitting upright, but I've gotten used to it with all the good advice about the pillows.

Or maybe I can't sleep because I'm worrying about not brushing my teeth and the gross state of my tongue. Any advice?

Hiya, ooo i remember that feeling of having a dirty tongue its not nice! How long are you wired for? I didnt really brush my teeth for the 1st week it was just to uncumfortable i couldnt open my lips and mouth enough, my authodontist told me off and said my mouth was too dirty when i went back for a check up and i needed to clean it more! Its hard though i understand what you mean . Just keep using plenting of mouth wash its important to keep your mouth really clean to avoid infections, Id use a siringe for the mouth wash and squirt it inbetween and gaps in my teeth and at the back of my mouth so it could get onto my tongue then just try and gurgle it.

I also had trouble sleeping at night, i think because like you it was partly because i was just sitting around all day, i no its hard in the 1st week, but try and just get out for a little bit during the day and got for a walk should help tire you out!

I too remember the tongue. It was gross. I wasn't wired shut but did have a splint with a palatal bar for 6 weeks after my surgery. I did alot better after the bands were removed at one week but still dealt with the tongue issue to a milder degree with the splint. It was alot better when I could brush (with a baby toothbrush) vs. rinse only (that was at the one week point). I used alot of listerine and a peroxide and water mixed together. I was consuming a lot of milk product drinking smoothies and milkshakes, i don't think diet helped any! How long are you wired? Good luck, it will get better!

Thank you asd & Smile2006!

I am wired shut for 5 more weeks, so 6 weeks in total. Ick. I just started brushing my upper front teeth with a baby toothbrush and making sure to use the mouthwash 3 times a day religiously. I think it's helping overall but I wish I could really get in there with my toothbrush! Oh well. It's a small cost to pay. Thanks for both of your advice!!!

Why don't you try one a proxybrush... All that tartar building up between the brackets and your teeth are going to look so pretty! And why aren't you signed on to AIM? I thought you were going to entertain me while you were bed ridden!

I was wired for just three weeks and worried about my teeth rotting. I began brushing with a baby toothbrush on the second or third day--just kept trying to brush as far back as I could on the sides. And, of course, I used the mouth rinse prescribed. I remember fantasizing about being able to just get a toothbrush inside my mouth...

What's really funny (or not so funny) is that when the wires came off, my bottom front teeth were stained brown--from all the chocolate Ensure and milkshakes I had been drinking!!! It's now 9 weeks later and the stain is still there but much fainter. I thought my teeth really had rotted, but my ortho assured me that a good teeth cleaning once my braces are off will take care of everything.

So, I think you'll be okay, too. Hang in there!

2nd day after surgery and I'm wired with a splint for 3.5 weeks. Started brushing yesterday. I was told to brush with a baby toothbrush and warm salt water 6 times a day for 5 days, then start using the non alcoholic mouthwash. My nose is so stuffed and mucus in my throat makes it hard to breath - that is the worst part so far.

What exactly is the surgery for btw, what does it fix ? could that hit anyone with braces that it may become necessary?

Another question I always wondered is how do you eat? Do you mix it to liquiid and drink it beside your molars?

Wire shutting is a really mysterious topic I think, never saw one with it too.

Thanks alot for the detaile information, my ortho will tell me if such torture is needed one day, but I doubt that.
I got a class 2A, small asymetries, to less space top and bottom, twisted molars and finaly not possible to bite down, it still has 2-3 mm space between top and bottom jaw for several years already. Treatment goes very slow, I dont see any effect at all, except for twisted teeth which was ok after 3 months already. But thats why I checked the surgery forum for the first time. in 2 days i anway talk to my ortho without an appointment because its 1 yearsince in got braces and want to know a status report and what will still be done. i know not enough.

Things have changed since the initial detailed talk of the treatment plan. But a surgery never was mentioned, except for wisdom teeth extraction, which is done already. a Top Jaw 4mm Expansion is planned thu, which is not sure what method will be used, i dont know if 4mm aremuch or not, but my jaws defenetly could need some more broad space.
Due to not mentioning any surgery stuff I assume I dont need to get thru that

Thx for all the infos. btw is there somewhere some picture of wire shut mouthes? I barly can imagine how that look, bracket to bracket wire ligatured top/bottom?

Iam not scared of wire shut, only of any surgical procedures done to the jaws bone. As for now me and my ortho decided to use an utility bow (bioprogressive technique) to get the 4mm out of the top jaw, an expander would cost more and be much more discomfort, so why should I choose that one ? Any ideas or good reasons ? (yea i really can decide that with my ortho together, we discuss different treatment ways most of the time)


*edit quote from previous post*:
"....such as tipping of the teeth or compromise of the roots."
all my 8 molars are already tipped and bit rotated, expanding could barly make it any worse. They just dont like moving back to normal position for a full year now already, I assume that requires heavier wires.