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Sunday 22 August 2010

Wire and Cleaning Tips

Hello! I just just had my wire tightened, which has been painful for about three days. As I've said before, it's quite nice when it does hurt as you know it's really working, and unbelieveably, the gap I had in my teeth closed in just ONE day!

My teeth have been bleeding slightly - it's not painful but another indication that they are moving.

Wire Tip:

When you're at the orthodontist, check using your finger that your wire is not cutting into your tongue at all. As your mouth is open and your tongue uncomfortable and disorientated from the appointment, it's not the best judge of this. Checking using a clean finger is the best way and avoids irritating trips back to see your orth to get it sorted. I have made this mistake a number of times now. My orthodontist is always kind and patient with me but it's costs a lot in petrol as I live around 10 miles from the surgery! If you mention the problem whilst you're still there, before you leave that seat, your orth can bend it out of the way, tuck in sharp edges and even grind down any sharpness with a motorised file.

There is a slight error in my video about the wire. I talk about it having a memory which is why you can't bend the ends out of the way. Actually, I've since learnt that before the wire is put into your mouth, the ends are heated with a flame to remove this quality so that they can indeed be bent out of the way. The point I'm making is that it's hard to bend them back out of the way yourself - which is still true. You can have a go with bathroom tweezers but be careful - I've tried this and ended up in more pain! Ouch!

Mouthwash Tips:

I have been using the Listerine Total which I mentioned in previous posts. As the alcohol content is so high on this brand it does really clean away the bacteria which is good, but can really sting your mouth. You can water it down to reduce this and it still works well (and lasts longer, too!).

Keeping this type of brace clean is a big challenge - remember to use an electric toothbrush, interdental sticks and mouthwash, and clean them after every meal. If you have any cuts or abrasions in your mouth, use mouthwash regularly to keep bacteria to a minimum and speed up healing time.

Link to YouTube Video: Wire and Cleaning Tips

3 comments:

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  2. Great tips. I only had a couple of times after getting my braces in Oviedo FL that I felt like the wire bothered my tongue, and I managed to figure out that I needed to use my finger without drawing blood.

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  3. Informative share..
    Some foods are more prone to getting caught in the wires or elastics, or even breaking a wire or bracket so avoid them. Along with this Remember to floss every tooth, even the ones in the far back. If you like, you can purchase special “floss threaders” for braces at the drugstore.

    ReplyDelete