Brushes and Cleaner Advice..what to get?

[Carrie]

I'm getting braced on Thursday and already looking into cleaning machines.

I'm curious what everyone is using. I've been looking at WaterPiks and other water based cleaners. Any opinions?

[Sunny]

To be totally honest ... the best way of cleaning my teeth is with an oral b electric toothbrush ... the type with the small round head. My ortho also recommends using a childs soft toothbrush. They also have small heads which allows them to get around the brackets easily. It's important not to overbrush, as you can damage both the enamel on your teeth and your delicate gum tissue.

Toothpaste has affected how my teeth feel. I find the colgate one with peroxide and baking soda makes my teeth feel spotless and I use it every morning. At night I use sensodyne's whitening toothpaste ... remember that whitening toothpastes cannot whiten teeth, the best you can hope for is that they'll remove some of the staining from foods you've eaten and drunk during the day.

A good mouthwash is also important and we recommend using one with fluoride twice a day ... and that gives me loads of confidence both with hygiene and breath smell!

Flossing ... should be done once a day ... it's slow to begin with when you have braces, but the more you do it the easier it gets. It's so worth it though, as it prevents gum disease and also makes sure there's no bits of food left behind between teeth, or in the area just below the gum line.

Waterpik ... they're great as long as they're used correctly. I had one sent to me not long after I started treatment, as they couldn't be bought in Australia. I used it on and off for a few months and it's been put away in the bathroom ever since. I find the best way to remove food from my brackets is by rinsing with water while I'm eating. This followed by using a toothpick, makes a great job. If you do use a waterpik, remember it won't floss ... no matter what the advertising says. Never aim it towards your gums, or you risk damaging your gums and pushing them up so that the sensitive roots of your teeth are exposed. The waterpik must always be used on a low pressure and with care around the teeth and brackets only.

Swirling water from a glass or bottle ... cheaper, safer and generally more efficient!

Exciting to be counting down the sleeps now Carrie!

[Denise]

I have the Oral-B® Pulsonic® Sonic Toothbrush and I absolutely love it. It's small, relatively inexpensive, rechargable, and has a timer built in.

For mouthwash, I use good ole Listerine. Even though it has that annoying burn, it works, and it's inexpensive. It's what my dentist and my orthodontist both recommend. BTW, do not use Crest TotalCare mouthwash (the blue stuff) - it congeals around my brackets and wires and I have to brush after I swish to get it to come off. It's horrible stuff!

Waterpik - I use it, I love it. I have the Ultra Dental Water Jet WP-100 and the Ultra Cordless Dental Water Jet WP-450. I use my waterpik two, sometimes three times, a day. For me, it blasts all the junk out of my brackets that swishing with water while eating doesn't get. It's absolutely amazing to see what comes out of those things after each meal! I use the head that is like a brush, and use it only on my brackets/teeth...never on my gums. I also don't use it past a number "7" power. I have the travel one for when I'm traveling and camping, and have the big one at home on my counter in my bathroom.

Good luck with the braces! It's a love/hate relationship for sure. Some people love them...I am not one of those people but I DO love what the end result is going to be. Just remember, you're going through what everyone else here is/has gone through as well...we are here to support you!