Metal Mouth Message Board

I'm curious what everyone's ortho "gave" (of course you're really paying for it in the fee) them when they got their braces on? I've seen reports ranging all the way up to a Sonicare toothbrush (NICE, but it's coming out of your pocket at the end of the day and if you already have a nice brush...).

All I got was:

A pack of OrthoSil silicone "wax" and told it doesn't work very well but some people like it

A water bottle and told to keep hydrated

A rater bad tasting raspberry chapstick

And a plain (not V-cut or anything surprisingly) children's toothbrush - and that wasn't so much a one-time gift as a after the bands were on they had me brush my teeth to remove excess cement so take a toothbrush. You get one every time you go in I guess, at least whenever they have you brush your teeth.

Oh and of course I got a "no-no list" (it actually says "no-no list" on top LOL) of foods (when it was explained to me that it was mostly for little kids and that with some common sense I could eat a lot of the foods on it so she talked through it in detail with me).

Things like floss threaders and special brushes she mentioned since she knew I'd read up a lot. Floss threaders she said "you don't really need one they just take more time" - I agree, I've had no problem flossing. Takes a little more fine motor control to manipulate it under the archwire towards the back of my mouth and around the bands, but not hard. Toothbrushes same thing - she showed me how to brush different angles to hit everything with any normal toothbrush.

I left with mixed feelings - they didn't give me all the cool goodies some of you guys got. But they also give me a bill ($5170 on a 2-year, 25% down payment plan) a LOT lower than I've seen some of you on here get!

I did not get a low bill but neither did I get a binch of good stuff.

Here is what I got:
Regular toothbrush
travel brush
floss threader and floss
small thing of pink ACT moothwash (hate to think how it might taste)
What they call a Christmas Tree brush for pokig between the braces
a water bottle
T-shirt
instructions for cleaning teeth

I got a cute littel travel case with a proxy brush, a travel brush a tiny little pot with wax in, a mini tube of fluride toothpaste and one of those dentist mirrors. I also got a bag of about twenty different sized proxy/cristmas tree brushes, a toothbrush with v cut out and about six big rolls of wax!!! I also got a letter stating who to call if i have any problems.

I got a regular toothbrush, a travel toothbrush (for school), ACT Kids fluoride, one of those brush-y toothpick things, floss, a packet of threaders, wax, some nice-tasting minty lip balm with all of my ortho's info on it, a clear purple case for all of it, and a rather handy picture of one of my ortho's patients who didn't brush correctly and has stained teeth as a result.

I got my braces on 2 weeks ago (I'm 42, this is my first time, est. treatment time 30 months); after bonding, I went home with:
a regular adult (compact/soft) toothbrush;
an oral-b interdental brush (I like this!);
a GUM travel toothbrush;
container of Prevident and prescriptions for more when gone;
small tube of toothpaste;
oral-b satin floss;
packet of 6 floss threaders;
2 little cases of wax (haven't used any);
little mirror;
purple plastic arch-shaped thing to bite "to help with pain" (didn't try it);
four packs of elastics (Quail);
magnetic "Orthodontic Diet Chart" & "Problems & Solutions";
horror pictures "Proper Brushing is Vital to Oral Health";
"Orthodontic Brushing and Flossing Procedures";
reading material on root resorption & other possible complications;
and a Waterpik Ultra Dental Water Jet (glad to have it, feels good!).

Gee you all got a lot of stuff! Maybe I should have waited to put together my own little travel kit!

I hope I get a tshirt like wired after 50 did!

Taylor said "...and a rather handy picture of one of my ortho's patients who didn't brush correctly and has stained teeth as a result."

I saw a picture like that at my consult...I asked them who the heck it was, and why would he let himself pose for it...

edit...

...and I haven't received anything yet except fliers. I suppose I'll get something come Thursday when the top ones go on...

+ A toothbrush
+ Tons of floss
+ Floss threaders
+ A t-shirt
+ Instructions & information
+ Coupons
+ An hourglass (for when I brush my teeth)
+ Whitening gel
+ Sample of orajel
+ Wax (I've yet to use any, though, and I've had braces since September '06)
+ Chapstick
+ Some interdental (is that what they're called? =P) brushes

And that's all I can think of.

I just got a flyer and a case of dental wax (because I asked for it). I guess you don't get all that fancy stuff when you don't have to pay for your treatment... (the costs are covered by the State; Norway's got some pretty cool rules when it comes to the public health system)

Now that the big day has come and gone...

I got..

• the no-no list
• a t-shirt
• floss
• a couple of boxes of wax
• tons of floss threaders
• lamented color brochures on how to brush, floss, and pictured demonstrations of what happens when attempting each no-no list item...all with a hole on the top
• a mirror suction cup hook to hang the brochures
• a reward card...they give you points where you can earn things like itunes cards, pens, etc for good dental behavior
• a few christmas tree brushes
• a couple of regular toothbrushes
• and finally, a giant book bag thing to put them all in

Oh I forgot one more...

• a travel toothbrush

No, her comment wasn't that the Orthosil product doesn't work very well, but that wax (in general) doesn't work very well but a few patients like it.

I've used it a couple times and generally no, it doesn't work very well.

Maybe I should be a little more clear and in depth on what she said when she described the wax. I'm paraphrasing but it was something like this:

This is some wax, it doesn't work very well. It isn't and doesn't work to prevent irritation like you might have heard. Some patients like it and find it helps, but it doesn't really for most. What it is good for is if you get a sore, it can help it heal. Roll a ball up, dry the bracket off and press it against the bracket. Pretty soon the skin will toughen up and you won't get sores.

So far this has been spot on advice for me. The wax does nothing to stop a pokey piece from poking, it has let a couple sores heal up for me though. And no, I don't get the sores now and the braces don't irritate me at all anymore.

There's another lady on this board who uses the same ortho I do, I'll have to PM her and ask if she got similar advice.

I don't understand why your wax isn't stopping your poky bits from poking? I have never needed wax for irritation or sores, but everytime I have a shift, I get a snaggy, poky wire, and well placed wax covers it until I remove it.

Look at it like holding a sewing needle and putting wax on it. If you put enough so the poke part doesn't reach the surface of the wax ball.. no poke.

It takes some practice to cover the poky part while laying flat so its not getting in the way of your bite or being too fat to sit against your cheek or something, but it surely does work.

I haven't received a darn thing from my ortho.

I have to beg some dude who's in charge of equipment...tooth brush, toothpaste and wax.