Ortho might end treatment early help!

[thisisme]

Hi all,

I am 6 months in to a 2 year treatment plan and my ortho said i am not cleaning my teeth properly. He said its last chance and if its not improved next time he will take my braces off and end treatment.

I know flossing/interdentaling is lapse. But still it seemed a little extreme.

Anyways i will be damed if they are taking them off so please everyone tell me what is your cleaning routine.

What is your current cleaning routine?

[rolo]

Firstly I as posted above, sonicare toothbrush, interdental brushes and those minature bottle type brushes to clean around brackets, twice a day and after meals.

Secondly can they just take your braces off? Would you need to consent, or just get out of the chair? I mean they can refuse to do any more adjustments, but if this is the case could you keep the brackets on and go elsewhere? Althought that would involve you having to pay more money, so sorting out cleaning would be by far the best option

[Snowglobe32]

I think maybe the ortho is just disappointed in the fact that he/she is trying to help you and you are hindering their ability to do their job.

The ortho and staff I go to, love their jobs and love that they are helping people. And for someone to not be cooperating to ensure they get the best results, I am sure it is dissapointing for them. The ortho can not continue his treatment properly if the patient is not doing their part. This issue was mentioned in the paperwork I got from my ortho, they can discontinue treatment if this situation continues. Maybe the ortho is just looking out for your best interest. He does kow what will happen if you don't practice good dental hygeine.

On the other hand, if you want to switch ortho's I would make an appointment while you still have the braces on. See what they say.

Good luck.

[sauerkraut]

Re: brushing after eating – I have been told that you should wait an hour after a meal before cleaning your teeth. Apparently the acid and/or sugar in your food softens the enamel, which means you could damage the surface of your teeth if you brushed immediately. So I usually only rinse with water after a meal and brush properly a bit later.

Thank you! I was just about to make a comment about it. It's advised to wait at least 30 minutes after your meal before you brush your teeth. I keep reading how so many people here brush their teeth right after every meal. I don't understand it.

It looks like we're on our own, imwiredtoo

Oh well, FWIW here's a quote from the British Dental Health Foundation:

It is important that you brush twice a day with a toothpaste containing fluoride. The best times are before breakfast and last thing at night before you go to bed.

Eating and drinking naturally weakens the enamel on your teeth, and brushing straight afterwards can cause tiny particles of enamel to be brushed away. It is best not to brush your teeth until at least one hour after eating.

It is especially important to brush before bed. This is because the flow of saliva, which is the mouth’s own cleaning system, slows down during the night and this leaves the mouth more at risk from decay.

(Taken from this site: http://www.dentalhealth.org.uk/faqs/lea ... afletID=14)

[TumbleDryLow]

I think the phrase"brush after every meal" needs to be taken with a grain of salt. If others are like me, I use the phrase "brush after every meal" but it's not like I jump up immediately after my last forkful to run to the bathroom. I probably do wait about 30 min--not because I should (although it's good to know that I should) but because I get involved in doing something else, or I'm watching TV and want to catch the end of the program, or I'm checking my email, or my cat is on my lap and I don't want to disturb her, or whatever.

Thanks though. I will now make a conscious effort to make sure I wait.

[drrick]

If you are truly not keeping your teeth clean then your doc is doing you a favor by removing your braces.

It does no goot to have straight, but scarred or rotted teeth.
Then after braces you get to have a mouthful of veneers to cover up your now straight teeth. Also you will likely need periodontal treatment and much of the damage that occurs will be un-repairable.

So your choices are pretty much start cleaning your teeth appropriately or get your braces off.

[changes09]

You cannot go wrong with this method. Go to your dentist. Ask for a prescription of this special high flouride toothpaste called prevendent. You can also get a prescription mouthwash called Clorahexidine (sp) I get my teeth cleaned every three months. There is nothing wrong with that. Then I floss at LEAST once a day, and brush my teeth as many times as I can. Also those little tooth brushes called wisp are so good! The handle can also be used as a pick. They are very cheap! Just show your ortho that you are making the effort, and he will be thrilled!

[Pebs]

Well, at my last dental appt, the hygienist raved about how great my teeth and gums looked so I must be doing something right. I don't consider my routine extreme, by any means, but it is very consistent.

1. Brush (Oral B electric) each morning
2. Rinse and use interbrush as needed after every meal/snack
3. Brush each night, floss (this is a huge pain at first and seems to take forever but you get better at it and faster as time goes on)
4. Waterpik (I'm AMAZED to still see little bits of food dropping into the sink as I use the waterpik after having brushed and flossed!)
5. Rinse with Phos-Phor or store brand anti-cavity mouth wash (I alternate between the 2 because the Phos-Phor has a much higher fluoride content but is much pricier)

Oh, one thing I'll mention is that brushing the outer parts of your teeth (where the brackets are) should take twice as long as it would without braces. You need to brush each of the teeth twice, once above and once below each bracket. The area that is typically neglected is the area between the bracket and your gums so spend special attention here.

It is also common to need extra dental cleanings while in braces. Talk to your hygienist about shortening the time between cleanings.

Good luck!
Pebs

[alamaya]

Hi all,

Just wanted to thank you all for taking the time to read and respond. Athough i have not been replying i have been reading daily.

I will be taking on board everything that you have told me. I still feel sick to my stomach at the thought of them coming off early. Yeah my major sticky out tooth is in but i have a gap now in my front teeth. My teeth dont bite together at the moment. Basically i am saying i am getting there but to stop now would be as bad as never having had them.

I realised when reading some of the posts that its not a lack of respect for the work the ortho is doing. Its a lack of respect for myself. I dont eat well, dont make an effort on anything hair, clothes, makeup. So if i dont make an effort what was the point in getting them in the first place.

So it all ends here. I will make the effort. I have to. I just wish i could tell my ortho now so he agrees to continue as i dont know if i can wait till end of jan for him to make his decision i feel so sick

again, thanks all.

[sauerkraut]

If you make a concerted effort from now until the end of Jan I'm sure your ortho will see the difference. I doubt he's expecting immediate perfection: he'll just want to see that you've changed your ways. And by the way they DO notice if all you've done is make a special effort at cleaning immediately before the visit, rather than keeping up a consistent routine over time (My daughter was caught out on that once!).

You've obviously made a start on caring for yourself by getting braces in the first place, and I wish you all the best with your new resolutions

[evilnel]

I agree with Sauerkraut. Your body and your health are a gift. You're already taking a great step by improving your teeth, so take care of them, and the rest of you! You're worth it.

[yj207]

aww don't feel sick, your ortho gave you a warning that means there is still time to improve. I really think you should get a waterpik, it really improved my gum health within a week. Flossing for just a week can show improvement as well. Have you ever heard of xylotol? Something like that, it can help your teeth. Good luck! I'm sure everything will work out!

[Saysee]

Isn't it also a litigation defense for the ortho? (Sorry about being so American in my thinking...) Your ortho is as responsible for your teeth as you are. If, at the end of treatment, your teeth are rotted and your gums are awful needing special periodontal care, the ortho could be sued for malpractice. If you're not doing your part, he doesn't want to be responsible for the outcome.

Any ortho docs out there who read this board, I would love to hear your comments.

[roost22]

do YOUR part, it will be alright.

[virgoan]

I'm sorry to hear that you're facing early debanding due to hygiene concerns. That can't be a good feeling.

Some folks are more fanatical than others, but at the very least I think you should make an effort to do the following:

- Swish water around in your mouth if you aren't able to brush after a meal, and break out an interproximal brush to help remove any bits stuck in the brackets. I found this routine helped me a lot when I wasn't able to brush until later in the day.

- Do brush twice a day as a minimum, and for at least two minutes. This is the most important thing, IMO, and make sure you're brushing along your gumline, top and bottom. You should feel smooth, clean teeth at the end (minus the braces, of course, haha).

- Flouridated mouthwash is great, like ACT, and Waterpiks are great too. The pressure can be a bit much right after an adjustment, but they will blast out hidden bits your brush might have missed.

- Floss as much as you can. Keep in mind that clean teeth and healthy gums means faster movement/more progress, if that provides an incentive for you. I definitely did not floss everyday because it was such a hassle, but try to work on it because it's very important for your long-term gum health and preventing cavities.

I hope you are able to resolve this and keep the braces .. just work on your habits/routine as you go and it should become second nature.

Good luck!