Tobilei's Train Tracks.

[Tobilei]

Thanks for the tip. I will be!! Eek! Ate some lettuce the other night. Scariest smile ever followed!

[Dee17]

Hey Tobilei,
I wanted to tell you that our brains must work in the same way. I put up a blog called: D'vorah's train tracks adventures. My kids thought it was a hoot that I called my own braces "train tracks" but that's exactly what they look like.
I know exactly what you mean about lettuce. Ugh. Have you tried to eat any rice (as in "sushi") yet? Oh, my God, the first (and ONLY time) I ate rice I spent nearly an hour trying to clean it all out of my brackets. No more rice for me until I get these bad boys off my teeth, I'l tell you that much!

[Tobilei]

Haha, they must! We've called them train tracks for years (my little brother had them on about 8 years ago). And no, I haven't tried rice yet! Couscous was bad enough! I don't think I will now, thank you for warning me! (Too bad because I adore sushi!! And it's summer and the thought of eating soup today when it's going to be 36 celcius is not making me look forward to dinner at all!).

Day 8 today. I thought my uclers were over but they came back last night with a vengence. The loop on the bracket on my molar keeps trapping a bit of skin from one of them so that area is especially sore. And the spot where I have a gap from the extraction keeps trapping another part of the same cheek. I asked my orthodontist about it and because that gap isn't actually going to get closed they're going to take a look at it and see if they can stop it from happening. I wouldn't mind if it only got stuck once or twice a day but it's almost every time I smile, while I'm talking, when I'm chewing and that area is getting really tender. Hopefully I won't get there and just feel like a whiner

[Dee17]

Well I started to post a reply to your earlier posting and something, I don't know what, happened to it. Maybe it will show up later on.
Anyway, I was saying that before I got my own braces it never would have occurred to me to call them train tracks. I remember way back when I was in high school and many of my friends had braces that I mostly just thought they looked painful.
Don't take my word for it about the rice, though. I would hate to be responsible for keeping you from eating rice for the duration of the time you are wearing braces. Try it and see for yourself. You may have a completely different experience from me. I'll take your word about the couscous, though. Ugh. I don't want to have to deal with another marathon flossing effort to clear couscous out of my brackets. Flossing is hard enough. It is still taking me about 25 minutes each night. Ugh.
I have had some interesting experiences with melted cheese and have pretty much decided to give up eating melted mozzarella cheese because it gets very stringy when it's melted and just wraps around the brackets like crazy. I've found it very difficult to dislodge. Melted cheddar cheese has not been so hard, though. Mind you, I had read something about this posted on one of the messages on this forum. But did I pay attention to it? No, I did not. I had to discover it for myself much to my dismay.
I'm sorry to hear that you've been having so much trouble with mouth ulcers. I don't have any elastic hooks yet even though my orthodontist said that I would be wearing elastics at some point. I'm not really sure how that will be accomplished without hooks, though. One of the members on the forum, Jem, said that with Damon brackets (which is what I have) that they can simply add the hooks as needed. So, that should be interesting to see how that happens if and when they are ever deemed to be necessary. So, in the meantime, I will just send copious loads of sympathy. Salt-water rinses!!
And don't feel bad or like you're being a whiner when you go in to see your orthodontist about the problem. One thing I've sort of figured out with all this stuff is that they are pretty used to people complaining about things going wrong with their mouths. They'll fix it up and you'll be all better in no time, I'm sure!

[NICURN85]

Haha, they must! We've called them train tracks for years (my little brother had them on about 8 years ago). And no, I haven't tried rice yet! Couscous was bad enough! I don't think I will now, thank you for warning me! (Too bad because I adore sushi!! And it's summer and the thought of eating soup today when it's going to be 36 celcius is not making me look forward to dinner at all!).

Day 8 today. I thought my uclers were over but they came back last night with a vengence. The loop on the bracket on my molar keeps trapping a bit of skin from one of them so that area is especially sore. And the spot where I have a gap from the extraction keeps trapping another part of the same cheek. I asked my orthodontist about it and because that gap isn't actually going to get closed they're going to take a look at it and see if they can stop it from happening. I wouldn't mind if it only got stuck once or twice a day but it's almost every time I smile, while I'm talking, when I'm chewing and that area is getting really tender. Hopefully I won't get there and just feel like a whiner

Don't feel like a whiner because you are not!! We all have our days with the braces in achieving a beautiful smile. I LOVE rice and my advice would be to eat it while at home because it will take some intensive cleaning to remove it. The kind of cleaning you would not want to do in a public restroom. I can't give up rice so I just prepare myself for the cleanup!!!

[Tobilei]

Dee, I hear you on the nightmare flossing routine! Taking me about 20-25 minutes too Silly stuff likes to snake it's way along my gumline and I just can't seem to grab it! And that's with the super floss. Trying to floss with regular stuff was impossible!

Haha, after everything you wrote, the husand brought sushi home for lunch (thankfully it was at home). It was bad, but not as bad as I was expecting. A few good swishes, a brush and some interdental cleaning took care of it all (I think! Nothing else has popped up and it's been a few hours). Definitely an at home food though I think! I wonder if it's because my brackets are bigger than the metal one's?

And yes, I discovered parmesan cheese last night stuck to everything. I shudder to think how bad mozzarella would be! As for reading it and still doing it, yep, I ALWAYS have to do it myself first. Just to make sure the outcome won't be different (it rarely is )

I already have the brackets with the hooks on even though I have damon clears on top. My ortho. hasn't said anything about needing elastics but I'm sure they might be an option down the track. I think the back one has a little rough bit on it that the other side doesn't and that's why it keeps getting stuck. I put some wax on this afternoon and it felt much better (until I took it off for coffee anyway!)

[Tobilei]

Don't feel like a whiner because you are not!! We all have our days with the braces in achieving a beautiful smile. I LOVE rice and my advice would be to eat it while at home because it will take some intensive cleaning to remove it. The kind of cleaning you would not want to do in a public restroom. I can't give up rice so I just prepare myself for the cleanup!!!

Thanks. I just seem to be having more bad days than good one's. The girl at the surgery was very nice. Told me to give it at least 2 weeks before I despair .

The rice wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but yes, definitely an at home thing (seems like most foods have become at home foods now ).

Thank you for the encouragement

[juppiejux]

I found burgers particularly difficult to eat.... cause the bread kept getting stuck on the front wires and brackets.

[Dee17]

Hi Tobilei,
Yeah, flossing is the PITS. The first night, I spent an hour trying to do it (maybe I'm just slow, I don't know!) until I finally gave up in total despair and tears and just used my waterpik. Now I sit at my kitchen table with a magnifying mirror and do it there. Thank goodness I live alone because I think that would pretty much gross anyone else out who had to watch me doing it! I have been using the Super Floss based upon my orthodontist's recommendation but honestly? I don't care for it very much. I find that the stiff end of the floss doesn't stay stiff long enough and I end up resorting to using my floss threaders anyway. So, when this box is finished, I am probably not going to buy any more. I was finally able to get my flossing routine down to about 25 minutes and I considered that a MAJOR victory!
That's so funny that your bubby brought some sushi home for lunch. You might be right about not having too much trouble with rice because your brackets are larger. I have Damon Q and I was totally surprised when I first looked at them after having them put on because they looked so small even though they felt absolutely HUGE in my mouth. That feeling has more or less subsided and now they don't feel very big at all. Just rough and THERE. All the time.
I haven't tried parmesan cheese yet. Maybe I won't after reading what you wrote. I know what you mean about having to try things for yourself. Some of the information I've found on this board I've definitely taken to heart without having to try it myself but that was definitely not the case with the melted cheese. Live and learn, my grandmother used to always say, die and forget it all!
I can't imagine that your orthodontist would have installed brackets with elastic hooks if he didn't intend for you to be wearing elastics at some point in your treatment. That's why I was so puzzled when I realized that none of mine had hooks. Not that I'm feeling like I've been deprived of anything so special, mind you. I just distinctly remember asking him at one of my consultations if I was going to have to wear elastics and he said, "Oh, yes, definitely!" So.... I guess I"ll just have to wait and see what's in store for me.
I also have one bracket at the very back on my right-hand side that has an extremely rough edge on it which is always poking and rubbing me. I'm going to ask if there's any way it can be filed down or anything when I go in for my first adjustment on December 17th.

[Tobilei]

I found burgers particularly difficult to eat.... cause the bread kept getting stuck on the front wires and brackets.

I'll have to remember that! I did wonder when I tried to eat a bread roll the other day and ended up cutting it up with a knife and fork (the things we do to feed our faces!)

[Tobilei]

Haha, sitting down is a good idea! And yes, the superfloss is just okay. I'm not sure I'll spend the extra on it next time either. I haven't tried my threaders yet. I probably should!

I'm glad to hear your brackets feel smaller than they used to. Honestly, I've wondered a couple of times if I made the wrong decision and should have gone for the smaller brackets. I seem to be having a whole lot more trouble than my 13 year old has (I have also considered asking him if I pay extra to change them or just going in there and having him rip them off a few times ). I think it's the self ligating one's that are really huge. They feel much bigger than my bottom one's.

As for the hooks. Yes, you're right. Although my daughter has them and only wore elastics for 5 weeks in her whole treatment. Not sure if they're going back on at any point.

And that back right hand bracket seems to be a pesky one! That's the same one that's bothering me. Mind you, one issue seems to resolve itself and I wake up with a whole new one! I spent all last night biting the front of my bottom lip and have no idea why!

Also decided to use a plaque disclosing tablet. Bad idea! My teeth looked okay but it made all my top brackets hot pink. It seems to have gotten into the little doors and while I brushed for 15 minutes afterwards they're still kind of pink tinged this morning. I hope it wears off! I'm not sure why he gave me those if they were going to stain

I've been so careful with what I've been eating so they didn't! Argh!

[Dee17]

Hi Tobilei,
Well the only way I can actually do it is to sit. I had a stroke about 7 years ago and still have some residual weakness in my left leg. Standing for long periods of time is very difficult for me. So standing for 25 minutes while I floss my teeth would be just about impossible. Give your threaders a try. I really like mine. I can use them over and over again. Not sure if that's such a good idea but that's what I've been doing.
I have Damon Q self-ligating braces. I briefly considered getting the "invisible" ones but after reading about the way they tend to feel quite bulky in the mouth, I decided against it. I figured that having braces would be bad enough, I didn't want to deal with that as well. I think I made the right choice. Like I said, I was very pleased with how relatively inconspicuous they are (despite the fact that several doctors commented about them in less than a week of them being put on! I was NOT happy about that!). I honestly haven't regretted my decision once. But then again, I really felt like I had little choice if I didn't want to walk around with a ginormous gap between my two front teeth for the rest of my life. I spent a long time feeling like I was being completely victimized by own body. Surprisingly enough, it was the act of putting up my blog that really empowered me and finally helped me "get over myself" and take ownership of what has been going on with my teeth.
Sounds like you had a big ouchie last night with biting your lower lip. I wonder what would cause that to happen? As for your upper brackets feeling much bigger than your lower ones -- you have metal on the bottom, right? I think that the metal braces are just, in general, smaller than the ceramic braces.
I don't have any brackets on any of my back teeth. I have two large spaces in my upper arch (one on each side) and I was told that the wire would either bend or twist if it was stretched over large spaces like that. So, I expect that when I get a stronger wire that I will also get those back teeth bracketed. So, right now, no brackets on any of my back teeth, upper or lower. Suits me just fine. I am kind of worried about how hard it will be to floss those back teeth once they've been bracketed.
I have not been brave enough to use any of those plaque disclosing tablets. I just hope that I am spending enough time brushing. I've been brushing my teeth about 4 times a day and it's getting really, really old. After reading about your experience, I think I won't give those things a try. I guess I don't want to know if I'm leaving great hunks of plaque behind. I imagine if I'm not doing a good enough job brushing my teeth that they will tell me when I go in for my next appointment. Try not to be too discouraged by what happened. I think it's all just part of the learning process when you get braces. It's certainly been an interesting process for me so far and I've only been learning for a month! Hang in there!!
Where are you in Australia, by the way?

[juppiejux]

Do you guys thread the floss at the gumline with the Super floss? What i used to do was to thread the super floss underneath arch wire (going in between the arch wire and the teeth) and then I flossed normally. There's normally ample space in between your archwire and your teeth to thread the stiff end through and it shouldn't bend or weaken. I hope this helps. Flossing was a pain for me when I first started too, don't despair! It gets easier with time:D

[Tobilei]

Aww Dee. Sorry to hear about your stroke. Glad you're okay other than your leg. I tried my threaders last night (read your post, went to answer you and then couldn't log in for the rest of the night for some reason). You're right. They're great! Much better than the superfloss. I actually managed to floss in about 12 minutes (maybe 15 but definitely quicker than with the superfloss). I think they are re-usable. I got 2 and I'll be reusing them. Just gave it a rinse under the tap before I popped it away.

The decision between the metal and clear was a big one for me. I have ordinary self esteem at the best of times and I really wasn't sure I could cope with all metal (so vain of me!) I did read they were bigger, I even went into my ortho's office and sat there with the 2 sets of plastic teeth and compared the size and the look and everything. I'm sure I'll get used to the size of them eventually. Might just take a bit longer than the metal would have (although I'm still having moments where I think I'll go and beg him to put something smaller on!). I have clear on the bottom too but they're not self ligating. They feel smaller than the top one's do but they're still bigger than the metal. My daughter has the metal one's though and I hardly even notice them on her. I probably would have been happy with them anyway (still doubting my decision and they're on my teeth already ).

The lower lip I'm not sure what's going on. I woke up this morning with it wedged between my teeth too. I think one of them has turned just the slightest. I keep noticing my bite feels a little different. I seem to only do it at night while I'm asleep thank goodness so it's not too sore.

I have brackets on all my back teeth bar one molar that's really far back. My ortho said we'll leave that one for a little while because it's going to rub and cause an ulcer for sure and he wanted me to get used to the other ouchies first. That being said, I'm missing a lot of my back molars so the back one's aren't really that far back. Interesting what you said about the wire twisting over the space. I have wire across my space and that's the area that keeps trapping my cheek and shredding it (and also why I'm heading in tomorrow to get that checked out). Maybe it won't be so bad once they use a thicker wire (fingers crossed). I'm sure you'll do fine flossing them once they have brackets (you'll be an expert by then )

As for the plaque tablets I definitely won't use one again. I don't think it had anything to do with plaque. I've used them on my kids and the plaque stays RED. My brackets in the clips were all pale pink and the next morning I still had a pink tongue and gums. I managed to brush the remainder of it away the next morning thank goodness but yes, not using another one. I'm sure I'm getting everything anyway, nothing was red, just tinged pink. And I hear you on the brushing getting old! I'm doing 3 times a day (with a floss and interdental brush after dinner) and I'm over it. My gums are kind of sore and feeling very "scrubbed". Honestly, as much as we watch and harass her, my daughter really doesn't worry about hers at all. I'm sure she pretends to brush them once a day when we're paying close attention but generally she brushes once a day and I think I've seen her floss twice. She had a checkup at the dentist yesterday and he spent the whole time telling her how lovely her teeth are and what a good job she's doing (I was expecting a cavity or 2!). Very frustrating because now she thinks she needs to bother even less (hard to believe her disinterest, my husband and I are very careful about oral hygiene and teaching them to brush etc). I'm sure with 4 brushings a day yours are immaculate!

I'm in NSW, at the top of the south coast area (eastern side).

[Tobilei]

Do you guys thread the floss at the gumline with the Super floss? What i used to do was to thread the super floss underneath arch wire (going in between the arch wire and the teeth) and then I flossed normally. There's normally ample space in between your archwire and your teeth to thread the stiff end through and it shouldn't bend or weaken. I hope this helps. Flossing was a pain for me when I first started too, don't despair! It gets easier with time:D

I think I do. I thread it under the wire and then floss like normal. The bottom isn't too bad, but the top! I can't thread it down because there's not enough room and when I thread it up it winds it's away along between my gum and my upper lip and I can't grab a hold of it. I used my threader last night for the difficult one's and it was much easier.

Thanks for the tip and I'm glad it does!