August Braces Poll

[rellsmommy]

I've been in braces for over a year and I have been using just a manual toothbrush. Does anyone know what is the best electric for reaching back teeth/wisdom teeth? I am having a hard time reaching them with just the manual and my ortho will not put brackets on my wisdom teeth to move them up. I told him that they are hard to reach and don't get brushed very well. He says that they will move up on their own without brackets on them b/c he says that all teeth are connected (and i really didn't understand). Please help!

[Leelee]

I had already planned on buying a nice electric toothbrush after using other cheapy battery/rechargeable ones like Crest Spin Brush Pro and not being very satisfied. At the suggestion of my hygienist, I bought a new Sonicare at Costco (2 handles for basically the price of 1) and have continued using it since. I have to say that I love my Sonicare! I gave the other handle to my b/f, and he loves his, too.

--Just as a note, if you plan on buying a new Sonicare, don't bother getting the "sanitizer". Consumer Reports did a test to see how effective it was, and found that it's basically as good as running your brush head under hot water for a few seconds. It also seemed to dry my brush out quicker...Probably a ploy to get you to buy more sooner! Lol.--

[shinyRiver]

hello everybody! I'm a newbie.

I have had my braces on for... 17 hours!

But I've had my bands on for about seven weeks, I think.

I just brushed my teeth for the first time with my manual soft-bristled ortho brush that I got from my orthodontist, and it worked surprisingly well. Especially after eating pasta for dinner. I have criss-crossed wires on either side of my mouth to pull back my canines/eye teeth/fangs... I'd number them, but I haven't learned ortho numbers yet! I'm so new to the lingo! Anyway those things are like suspension cables and stuff just loves to get stuck there.

I don't know if a spin brush would be better, but I really want a sonicare.

Also, based on the 6 months I've already spent sitting and waiting in my orthodontists office at Ohio State University (for spacers, bands, and a lower lingual holding arch with a similar appliance on the roof of my mouth, which I don't know the name of) I've heard many an orthodontist recommend to many mothers of teenage boys to buy a timed Crest spin brush or similar product, just so they spend enough time brushing, which teenage boys never do...

[heather22]

I use the brush the orthodontist gave me. It has a little wire with bristles on the handle end that I'm supposed to use to clean under the wire and around the brackets more closely. My top braces went on 8/19/08 and my teeth hurt the first few days brushing. I'm more used to it now tho.

[gradgrill2]

I floss, then use a manual soft bristles brush to get rid of the stuff loosened by floss, stuck in my braceas or leftover wax. Then I follow up with my sonicare to make sure my gums are taken care of. I found before braces that side-to-side brushing beats up the bristles on the sonicare within two weeks so they aren't as effective. Braces brakets will chew them up even faster, but you can't beat Sonicare on your gums. So, using a manual toothbrish followed by Sonicare seems to work really well for me and I only replace my brush heads once a month. Then I use a tongue scraper to get rid of leftovers. Personally I hate mouthwash and rarely use it. Nothing beats brushing and flossing well. Take it from me - I'm 29, wearing braces for the 2nd time, still have all 4 wisdom teeth and have never had a cavity (despite also never having sealants as a kid) - in my whole life!

[RainAndTangerines]

I use a combination of both manual and electric toothbrushes.