Musings on a year in braces

[Corrinne]

I love this post! Very wise comments and like the others said; great attitude

[Dee17]

Plugnickel,
LOVED reading your post! What a wonderful attitude you have. I am also always hyper aware of my braces -- I guess I just don't like having these things in my mouth. Despite my worries about how the metal brackets would change my appearance I am glad I opted for them. I don't think I would have been able to tolerate the larger sized ceramic brackets although many people on this forum certainly don't seem to mind. I just don't think it would have been a good choice for me.
I also don't eat as much fresh fruit anymore. I have a LOT of problems with cantaloupe getting stuck in my brackets. Ugh! I never eat it in public!

[plugnickel69]

Thanks to all of you who have made positive comments about this topic. Much appreciated! I am hoping to give people some chuckles and also let them know they are not alone in their trials and tribulations with braces.

[plugnickel69]

Some more musings...

29. I seem to find elastics all over the house. How do they escape from the bag? I think they breed when they get loose.

30. At the rate I've been going, I only have to get braces once every 50 years. That's not so bad.

[BracesChick]

I really love this post, very positive and uplifting. I also bite my cheeks, hoping this gets better.

[Dee17]

Only once every 50 years, huh? Not so bad really when you think about it!

[plugnickel69]

31. It's a whole lot easier, quicker, and more comfortable these days than 50 years ago.

[Dee17]

Glad to hear that!

[kelsawesomesmile]

[quote="plugnickel69"]1.

13. Flossing is really a pain at first until you learn the tricks. The Flossfish is a fantastic tool.

14. It's fine to use whitening toothpaste and mouthwash.


Plugnickel, thank you for this post! Being new to braces all the info here has been so helpful! Couple questions...what does the floss fish do? Is it better than the threaded floss?

I used a whitening toothpaste before braces, Supersmile and Supersmile whitening accelerator, and was wondering if it isnstill safe to use whitening toothpaste with braces on. I'm worried about there being darker spots where the brackets were when they come off in a couple years.

[LilMiss]

Great post, thanks!

A sense of humour is a must for braces :-)

[plugnickel69]

1.

13. Flossing is really a pain at first until you learn the tricks. The Flossfish is a fantastic tool.

14. It's fine to use whitening toothpaste and mouthwash.


Plugnickel, thank you for this post! Being new to braces all the info here has been so helpful! Couple questions...what does the floss fish do? Is it better than the threaded floss?

I used a whitening toothpaste before braces, Supersmile and Supersmile whitening accelerator, and was wondering if it isnstill safe to use whitening toothpaste with braces on. I'm worried about there being darker spots where the brackets were when they come off in a couple years.

Kels, the flossfish tool is a small piece of plastic in a fishlike shape with a narrow head and tail fins only. You thread dental floss through the narrow end which easily fits between the brackets. You actually do not have to do any fishing to get the dental floss through. You can find videos on the web and can buy the product on the archwired website. It is a very ingenious contraption, and so simple.

I'm wondering if it can be used on permanent retainers. I don't know if the spaces will be wide enough, but am thinking about filing the flossfish down when the time comes, if necessary.

As far as whitening products, if your teeth were white beforehand, it seems to me that the brackets protect the tooth structure underneath them, therefore they will tend to stay white. One would think that if you don't use whitening toothpaste and mouthwash while your braces are on, you might tend to have whiter spots where the brackets were. I've noticed that some whitening products indicate they shouldn't be used with braces, so I'd check with my ortho before using them. Actually, I don't recall ever reading on this website of anyone who complained after removal that they had white or dark spots where the brackets were, only that practically everyone wants to whiten their teeth immediately to show off their new smile.

[plugnickel69]

Great post, thanks!

A sense of humour is a must for braces

LilMiss, I heartily agree. In fact, I believe that a sense of humour is a must for life, especially through the difficult times.

[marybee]

Some more musings...

29. I seem to find elastics all over the house. How do they escape from the bag? I think they breed when they get loose.

30. At the rate I've been going, I only have to get braces once every 50 years. That's not so bad.

I know what you mean about the elastics! Easier to find when they are neon colors, believe me. And boy, can those suckers fly!

[kelsawesomesmile]

Plugnickel, thank you so much for the info! I've said it before in other posts but I don't think I can say enough how awesome this site has been. All of the info ad support has been great! And knowing that everyone says it gets better is encouraging, especially since I still can't chew anything

[tiana]

Nice post plunickel.
i loved the
" You're only as old as you feel."
Thank you