Traveling and newly in braces- someone help me!

[Sadia MJ]

Hi all, I need some advice on this. I had my braces put in four days ago and just found out that I'll have to travel on Friday. I'm not in any pain, however I'm still getting used to eating. I attempted a sandwich yesterday but could really only have one third of it (not painful, just take some getting used to plus I got more food stuck in between my braces than I did in my stomach!) I know I'll have a couple of dinner meetings plus breakfast meetings every morning...and I certainly can't afford the time to go floss every time I'm required to eat! Where are the best places to eat out? I know I cant go yamming down on burgers and fries the way i did before. Any advice on how to deal with this will be most appreciated! I'm really in a quandary over this!
Plus, can anyone advise me on how to pack a travel (carry on) pack for the flight? I'll be in transit for a little over 14 hours with a 5 hour layover. I'm aware of the size restrictions but can anyone tell me if I'm allowed toothpaste, floss ect? What are the essentials? I have four days until I leave and already little time to pack much less shop (most likely will only get time to pack on Thursday night). Any advise would be so helpful! Thanks all!

[Kipepeo]

Here's what I would pack:
Small mirror
Travel size toothpaste and brush for carry-on
Inter proximal brushes, several in various sizes
Small empty water bottle, fill with room temp water for rinsing in lavatory
Prefilled one time use toothbrush and paste combo, no water needed

Eat whatever you want or can, but just use the mirror to see if you need to rush to rinse. Then rinse at minimum, inter proximal brush, or regular brush if necessary.

[Sadia MJ]

Thanks so much Kipepeo....did not think about the mirror. Very helpful indeed :)

[isthistaken]

Since I couldn't decide yet on which model of Sonicare toothbrush, I got a Spinbrush Sonic for about 13 bucks at Target. It is amazingly powerful for a battery operated toothbrush. Sometimes I think it is a bit too rough but I haven't been able to compare it to an actual sonic toothbrush yet. Anyway, I thought it might be good for travel. Anyone else try this?

Also wondering about the tiny Wisp toothbrushes. Anyone try these with braces? Would be great in a pocket or purse. Maybe that is the one-use toothbrush you are referring to Kipipeo?

[Sadia MJ]

My orthodontist advised me against electronic toothbrush at least for now. I have noticed these flossers that looked interesting but unsure about them. Thanks for the advise though....I'd defiantly look into it.

[Kipepeo]

Yes the Wisp toothbrushes, the waterless travel ones. Great to throw in a purse or bag.

When I don't have a mirror, I resort to asking someone if I have something stuck in my braces. Pretty embarrassing, even if you know the person well.

[Sadia MJ]

LOL I hope I don't have to do that one...but thanks for the info....I'll look for the wisp toothbrushes.

[klobird]

Don't forget the wax! Also, I have added regular toothpicks to my little "clutch" of braces stuff.
And floss!

[lizart]

Hello, I just ordered a travelers kit on DentaKit dot com which I found through archwired... it was recommended in the "new to braces" section of this forum. Perhaps it is too late to get it for this trip, but take a look and see if it would work for a future trip. All of the items are very compact and would be perfect to carry in one's purse for daily use as well. Have a wonderful trip and eat lots of soup and oatmeal!

[safetysquirrel]

Thanks for starting this thread! I get my braces tomorrow morning (eep!) and have to travel for business the next week. Best of luck, you'll have to let us know what you took and what was actually useful!

[Ciara]

Hello, I just ordered a travelers kit on DentaKit dot com which I found through archwired... it was recommended in the "new to braces" section of this forum. Perhaps it is too late to get it for this trip, but take a look and see if it would work for a future trip. All of the items are very compact and would be perfect to carry in one's purse for daily use as well. Have a wonderful trip and eat lots of soup and oatmeal!

I have this and it is a life-saver. I move between campuses, and also give lots of presentations at different universities. All involves travel and eating out. The only thing I would add to the dental kit is a small bottle of mouth wash, and a mini torch (flashlight). I have a tiny one which is great it you need to extract something firmly wrapped around a bracket on a molar and need some light to see it.

[isthistaken]

I have to go on a trip soon and I am going to miss my WaterPik sooooo much!

[Sadia MJ]

Unfortunately I don't have the time to order the travelling kit so I'm Frankensteining one instead. Thank you all for the advise, once I put together my "flight or plight" kit (lol) i'll update. Can't find the one time use toothbrush but did find a fold in "after surgery" brush to try. It's very soft and pocketbook friendly. I've been stalking the ales of my pharmacy looking for anything to do with travel and dental/oral care. I'll take some pics and post them up later on. Thanks a mill again for all the great info!

[isthistaken]

You could probably put together a rather creepy Frankenstein with all the dental paraphernalia around my house now.

[numbchin2013]

Everyone has given some very good advise for what to have as carry-on.

As far as eating, I would advise staying away from salads while traveling. I am at almost 3 years wearing braces and still find it hard to eat salad because the lettuce gets stuck EVERYWHERE.

I have carried mini toothbrushes since I had my braces put on...best thing ever

Good luck to you on this journey