Honestly, do you brush after EVERY single meal?

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#1 Post by **Heavy Metal** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:21 pm

Hi, I'm new here and also new to braces. I got em 7/15/08.

Sentenced to 22-24 months.

I've got an open bite and spaces btwn my teeth. ESPECIALLY btwn my 2 front teeth which got worst since I've got a tongue thrust. And they're bucked.

Anyway, here's the thing. Sometimes, I don't eat because I know right after, I'll have to fill my watperpik thing with water, plug it in and then get to the pik'n

And then brush.

As much I eat (not necessarily a meal but I'm always putting something in my mouth), this is VERY annoying.

And when I go out, I don't eay anything. I only get the water.

Bright side of it all I guess is I lost 15 pounds since I got the braces.

#2 Post by **NYG2007** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:25 pm

I got my braces on 7/15/08 too! I don't brush after every meal, but I do brush as soon as I can. I brush about four times a day on average, just beacause I can't stand the food stuck in the braces.

#3 Post by **jaswi** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:27 pm

No, I'm never to worried about it, I just make sure at least once a day I remove everything. Other than that, I just make very sure that nothing is visible stuck in my braces.

#4 Post by **Lisa65** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:47 pm

I brush night and morning, and other times after eating I just rinse my mouth out with water to make sure there's nothing stuck, or I chew sugar-free gum sometimes. I brush very thoroughly at night including floss and water pik, and use a fluoride rinse.

After 2 years the novelty of brushing after every morsel of food has long since worn off!

#5 Post by **browneyedgrl** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:20 pm

Hi and welcome,

I usually brush about 3-4 times a day, but not necessarily after everymeal. Lunch is usually tough, unless I'm in my office. I always carry a waterbottle with me so I'm always rinsing my mouth. I do carry a kit with a toothbrush, paste, floss, pick, etc.

Don't avoid eating, but just rinse your mouth out if you are not able to brush.

B

#6 Post by **Heavy Metal** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:45 pm

I'm so afraid lol. I was given a "how to brush with braces" kind of guide by my ortho. There was a before picture of how your teeth will look after you've taken good care of them during the time you had braces. And next to it was a picture of how your teeth will look if you don't take care of them while they are in braces. And it was really gross.

Plus they had the P word in there. Permanent.

Basically, I so do not want permanent white stains on my teeth when I take the braces off in 2 years.

Plus I either was told or read somewhere that if you don't brush after every meal, food particles get stuck and thus causing bad breath. And bad breath I will NOT stand for.

#7 Post by **Folk Ballad** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:26 pm

I do a quick brushing in the morning and then at night I do a lot more thorough cleaning (mouthwash, floss, etc.)
As for brushing after every meal, I only do so if something gotten stuck inbetween my brackets. I really can not stand teeth being trapped under the wires and such (even when it's not visible to other people). It's like having an itch you can't scratch, so I always go brush my teeth if I have something stuck in the hardware.
I think as long as you do one good, thorough cleaning a day, you shouldn't lose too much hair over the possibility of spots on your teeth once the braces come off.

#8 Post by **Bracefacegal** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:42 pm

I try and brush after every meal, but it is hard when life gets in the way of dental care...

.

Try to rinse out with water when you can't get to brushing right away.

#9 Post by **GiovanntiLawing** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:47 pm

I'm not going to lie. I do brush after every meal; to the point its annoying and people probably think im anal at work.

If I eat, I brush.
If I drink a soda, I brush.
Have a cigarette, I brush.
After a nap, I brush.

Total times a day, probably at least 8 times a day. Rinsing my mouth doesn't cover for me. My braces are ceramic, and im so terrified they are going to stain, so I keep a toothbrush and mouth wash handy at all times.

This may seem over the top, but I have to keep my mouth clean to feel comfortable with being around people.

...just my two cents!

#10 Post by **Lola** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:28 am

I am in work and have just realised that I forgot my toothbrush

#11 Post by **sparkles** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:53 am

I bursh in the morning and at night (good clean with toothbrush, toothpaste, interental brush and toothpick) with oraldene mouthwash if I have ulcers.
I have a drink at every meal time anyway so only brush my teeth after eating if food has become stuck in my braces.

You must eat! Don't stop eating just because brushing is a pain. Drink more water, brush a bit less and eat to get good nutrition in you to help with the whole process

#12 Post by **uncdl** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:13 am

I brush in the morning, normally after lunch, and in the evening is when I really get them clean with flossing ans some form of mouth wash. I say normally after lunch because if I've gone out to eat I just excuse myself and use the travel pipe cleaner type brush to get the food out from between my teeth. Good luck!

#13 Post by **lueyfufu** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:28 am

I brush after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And if I do snack in-between, I just swish with water. Unless there are pieces stuck in my expander, in which case, I brush without toothpaste until the pieces are out.

#14 Post by **artroxu** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:28 am

I brush really thoroughly in the morning and before bed. I swish with water and use bristley toothpicks during the day if something is really lodged. I can't stand the feeling of food chunks in my braces. Even the smallest ones feel obvious, so i always have a bottle of water and some toothpicks handy. For about the first month I brushed after every meal, then I really didn't feel the need for it.

#15 Post by **tammers1010** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:19 am

When I got braces in May, I started out brushing after every meal or after everything I ate. 4-6 times a day. I even flossed 1-2 times per day.I have to admit I was a little bit obsessed making sure I got all those little particles from my teeth. I just kept picturing those horrible pictures of teeth that weren't properly taken care of with braces. It terrified me. After a few weeks or so, my mouth became incredibly sore, and I cut down a bit. I think I over did it, and started doing damage. It took about a month to realize that. Due to time constraints (work, travel, etc.) I cut down to brushing 2-3 times a day and flossing everyother day (it was extremely painful to floss for a while).