(Part 2) Top products from r/braces

1. Colgate Max Fresh Wisp Disposable Mini Toothbrush, Peppermint - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXAIN90/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_srDoDbQNF1M5N
   
   Great for on the go and at my desk for a quick “brush” but there aren’t many in a pack so I try to use no more than 1 of these per day. I got mine at Target but probably would get a better deal on Amazon.
   
   
2. Plackers Orthopick Flosser for Braces - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AKJ3W7I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HsDoDbRJTQV6P
   
   Samples of these came in my “kit” from my ortho and I ordered a stock on amazon. I use these at nigh and use my waterpik in the morning.
   
   
3. Plackers Grind No More Dental Night Guard for Teeth Grinding- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GDKH9C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xtDoDbMBQ84EH
   
   I let my dentist and ortho know I use these (I prefer them to any other mouth guard I’ve tried) and they ok’d them with braces since they aren’t the heat & mold kind. I use them for a little longer than the box recommends (3 days) but toss them when they get gross.
   
   
4. GUM Orthodontic Wax, Mint with Vitamin E and Aloe Vera- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KQ9FF1J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_iuDoDbAEJZPTT
   
   I keep seeing people saying they can’t keep wax on. I love this wax (I got 2 kinds, no flavor and mint) because it’s perforated and easy to size out. Just roll in your fingers before applying otherwise it’s not going to stick. The mint is nice and fresh! I am using this a lot while my cheeks are getting used to poking metal but always remove before eating or brushing!
   
   
5. Preserve Mint Tea Tree Flavored Toothpicks- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077J1K6ZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yvDoDbZ4D9Y
   
   Do not use these too aggressively, you don’t want to damage your braces! But after a meal these have been a lifesaver for me. I gently (and hopefully discretely) get food unstuck. I got minty ones and keep a pack in jackets, backpack, car... I’m serious when I say lifesaver!
   
   
6. Trident Sugar Free Chewing Gum- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F1W4Y48/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AwDoDb2NFAKMM
   
   This is a bigger debate than getting wax to stick! My ortho did tell me that sugar free gum is allowed but not too much and don’t keep chewing it if it dissolves. Consult your ortho if you’re not sure. I was surprised to find that almost all gum is sugar free. Not all but most. I was searching all over for “SUGAR FREE” specifically and it was right at the register! I might get the 15 pack on Amazon though.
   
   
7. Slim Brush Interdental Cleaners- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009MHV3VW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cyDoDb81CT899
   
   Honestly I don’t use these that often but once and a while it’s nice to clean every nook and cranny. I have to force myself to floss every day so this isn’t something I use often. They are more gentle than toothpicks but food gets caught in the tiny bristles and it turns into a mess. I picked up a small pack at Target.

Cool! I like to carry these GUM soft picks around when I go to lunch, etc. Pretty easy to find at the drugstore. Good luck!

The Waterpik doesn't replace flossing. It's really helpful to clean food out after you eat, but is supplemental to actual physical flossing. I'm also not sure if it's just me, but the Waterpik doesn't always remove all food either. I always go back through with either floss or an interdental brush afterwards to make sure I get everything out.

I know a lot of people like the floss picks, but I never liked them even when I didn't have braces. I find them harder to use than just regular floss. I use Oral-B Satin Floss: https://www.amazon.com/Oral-B-Complete-Satin-Dental-Floss/dp/B009H17ODE. I learned how to floss without using floss threaders or any other special braces-specific tools. I figured out it was more efficient to floss and made it more likely for me to stick with flossing regularly if I tried to make flossing with braces as close to my flossing routine used to be without braces.

All of the wax I've gotten from orthos have been sub par. Spring for the Gum brand, it's not as soft and melty as the cheap stuff. Even better is if you can find Gishy Goo. It's a soft silicone that sticks way better than wax, and I was even able to eat with it in. Here it is on Amazon, but it's unavailable: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002EA8RH2?vs=1

Milkshakes will be fine if you at least rinse with water after. I ate a lot of chunky soups and protein shakes when my teeth hurt. My biggest hurdle when I got braces wasn't so much the pain, but learning how to manage food. Like how to chew and get food unstuck. It takes practice! The water pik was a life saver.

Assemble a To Go kit with these things:

-Travel toothbrush

-Small tube of toothpaste

-Your floss of choice (I used Superfloss, but regular floss plus threaders works too)

-Handheld mirror

-Proxabrush

-Pick-a-dent (like these: http://www.amazon.com/DISPOSABLE-PERIODONTAL-HOME-CARE-DENTICATOR/dp/B000W6GO2U)

I purchased a dentakit when I got my braces and it has served me well for 3 years. It comes with lots of stuff, but what I listed above is what I used most often. You can buy it here: http://m.dentakit.com/denforad1.html

Hope that helps, and congratulations on starting the process!

I use floss picks that are designed for braces. I order these from Amazon. I also will use easy brush interdental cleaners. The easy brushes are my favorite because they are quick and easy to do between classes and are a bit more discrete than brushing with toothpaste and a toothbrush. These you can pick up at most grocery or convenience stores.

Edit: Added where I buy my favorite products.

waterpik cordless freedom

This is the one I bought. It’s listed on Amazon right now at $35.98. Do yourself a favor & buy a pack of AA batteries with it. It takes three to run it & they run out pretty quickly.

I recommend you speak with a specialist. Plus you could read this book! It's very helpful: https://www.amazon.com/Six-Foot-Tiger-Three-Foot-Cage-Charge/dp/1944177590

These saved me a lot of time and I could get under the brackets easy: https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-BrushPicks-Interdental-Toothpicks-120-Picks/dp/B004GF2HY2/ref=pd_aw_lpo_194_tr_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7TQ5316Q574086RHS88E

To be honest, my cordless waterpik isn't that great and I end up using proxy brushes when I'm not home, I don't feel like the pressure is good enough for what I want. I have a corded waterpik at home and I use it every time I eat something. But, the cordless waterpik I have is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UWAWQU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't suffer from migraines, but I do know for headaches that the only thing that works for me is excedrin, I would recommend trying their migraine version if you haven't.

There's a product called "Retainer Brite" that I have seen mentioned around that works pretty well.

https://www.amazon.com/Retainer-Brite-Tablets-Months-Supply/dp/B005GRGARE

Oral B makes a floss similar to Superfloss but it is the Glide floss. It has the waxed ends and is my favorite for overcrowding. https://www.amazon.com/Oral-B-Glide-Pro-Health-Threader-Floss/dp/B000GGJCDY
My teeth are too crowded and tight for the floss piks specifically made for braces and I also found SuperFloss to be too thick. Alternatively, there are plastic threaders you can use with your normal floss. It takes more time but works. https://www.amazon.com/GUM-Eez-Thru-Floss-Threaders-Each/dp/B000GGJCDO/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=plastic+floss+threader&qid=1555263723&s=beauty&sr=1-8

I play hockey and my ortho recommended this one Shock Doctor
There are also custom guards: Gladiator Guard
Or theses DIY customs guards: Sisu

Oh it's basically just a moisturizer, not medicated, so technically otc I guess? If you're in the US, you should be able to find it at any drugstore! Otherwise, they sell it online as well!

You can buy wax to put on the bracket so that it doesn't cut your lips/tongue, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CIAKH2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apis_1500893805362

Unsolicited advice, Platypus flossers are a lifesaver if you're lazy and hate floss threading like me.

It could! Distal end cutters hold the piece of the wire in the cutters so when you pull it out it is still in there. Here is the link for the one I have! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008ZA3ZW2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1468456046&sr=8-3&keywords=distal+end+cutter&pi=SY200_QL40

The plastic tip ones, not the water ones
https://www.amazon.com/WaterPik-FLA-220-Flosser-Battery-Powered/dp/B0002AHY7A/ref=sr_1_10_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1479842792&sr=1-10&keywords=waterpik

I had custom trays made for me by a dentist (that was the expensive part, probably $200-$300 or so) and then he gave me a 4 pack of Opalesecence 10% Carbamide Peroxide Gel (http://www.amazon.com/Opalescence-Teeth-Whitening-Latest-Product/dp/B000C4SBJQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1407541412&sr=8-6&keywords=Opalescence) I live in Australia, so you can't simply buy it over the counter, you have to go and see a dentist. Essentially I'd squeeze a little bit out on to each tray tooth, place the tray in my mouth before I went to bed, 8 hours later I'd wake up, take the tray out and proceed to rinse both my mouth and the tray out. I did that until all of the syringes were empty (probably just under 2 weeks or so I think) and that was it.

There are days where I can't even chew. However, I've found black nongshim yun ramen very easy to eat. Even on my worst painful days, I just drink three soup and it gets me by. I usually add a raw egg and let it cook in the soup base.


Also, I've had chicken in a minced form with cilantro and onions asking with mashed black beans.


Keep in mind, she won't be able to chew and she will be using her tongue and the roof of her mouth or the rear teeth to eat. So, keep the food in that theme.

I would try and see if you can find some narco/pain meds for those days where she's just in pain.