The amazing braced belly dancer

A friend and I got hired for a birthday party gig last night at an Indian restaurant.  I thought it went pretty well - all the diners seems to enjoy watching me...but then it occurred to me that they might just be staring at my braces!  :(  Ugh, even when I'm all dolled-up and feeling pretty, the braces manage to knock me back to reality like THAT!

Oh, well.

Just a quick update on the Tung Brush.  Several people commented on the whole "bleeding" thing.  It's not like it was a ton of bleeding - it was more like I scraped a little too hard.  And it actually only happened the one time.  You know all the little bumps on your tongue?  I basically scraped off one of those, I think...  Hopefully that makes sense... ???  Overall, I'm really enamored by the brush - it feels like it gets a lot more gunk off of my tongue with much less effort that using my regular toothbrush. 

Now, those pix are a different story.  I'm not good with flossing apparatuses, I guess.   I need to stick with my regular floss - Oral-B Super Floss.  I freakin' love this stuff.  I couldn't get the hang of those floss threaders, but these strings come with a stiff end so you don't need a separate threader.  The Oral Pix, oh those damn Oral Pix.  True, I only tried one, but I managed to stab myself in the gum and let me tell you - that was some blood!  Maybe someone else will have an easier time with them, but I just don't think I have the dexterity for poking little plastic swords between my teeth...

Happy Memorial Day weekend, all...

No pain, no...well, no pain

Wow, so far, nothing hurts.  Maybe it’s too early.  I had my 3^rd official appointment at the ortho this morning at 8.  Only the bottom wire was replaced, moving me up to a 14.25.  There was some minor trouble getting the farthest back two doors shut, due to my incredibly small mouth, I’m sure, but other than that it was a pretty smooth appointment.  I ate a good breakfast – Camille’s Sidewalk Café “Original” breakfast wrap – eggs, bacon, cheese, and tomatoes in a jalapeño-cheddar tortilla….mmm – in anticipation of not being about to chew the rest of the day.  But, 4 hours later, nothing really hurts.  I’m almost disappointed!  :-# 

My next appointment is in 10 week, July 22, at which point Dr. Weber will probably move some brackets around – no new wires.  

 

Dr. Weber also gave me some “Opal Pix” – basically flat sticks for flossing.  (I think my enthusiasm to floss while the wire was off took him by surprise.  I’m flossing regularly, really I am.  But flossing takes FOREVER, so the chance to floss my entire bottom row in less than 30 seconds is THRILLING.  Ah, the sorry state of my life…)  Anyone else try these yet?  Good?  Bad?  Indifferent? 

 

The Tung Brush is going well.  I can’t say that I’m noticing a huge difference yet, ‘cause I’m a big tongue-brusher anyway.  The packaging warned that my tongue might “get sore and bleed”.  Eek.  That’s not really what you want to see on a dental care product…  Basically it’s just a toothbrush with a   round flat head.  The bristles are stiffer and shorter, for better scrubbing power, I guess.  I’ve been using it for 2 days, and last night my tongue DID bleed a little, so if you’re going to try this product, be prepared!  The package also claimed that it wouldn’t trigger my gag reflex, but that’s a joke! :-#   I will post again about my breath – we’ll see how much of a difference this makes over the long haul.  Grade so far:  B+

 

 

Nice and clean

Yesterday I went for my first dental checkup and cleaning since being braced.  Wow.  It took FOREVER.  The hygeinist said I was doing a good job of cleaning, but ortho is just that much harder to keep clean and I still had a lot of buildup.  Oh, well.  No cavities, as usual.  :)

Tonight while grocery shopping, I had the foresight NOT to buy a ton of food that required chewing.  I'm getting a new wire on Thursday so I am expecting several days of soft foods...  In March, right before my first new wire, I bought a huge tub of organic baby salad mix.  Stupid!  Hello, braces to Aimee!!!  You can't eat salad without working teeth! :-#  Lesson learned.  At least my husband enjoyed several days of baby spinach...  This time I stocked up on Stoneyfield Farms Caramel Yogurt (SO good!) and Naked smoothies...

Ooh, and I bought a tongue brush.  Well, it's a Tung Brush.  Anyone use one of these things before?  I feel like I still have icky breath and maybe I'm just not getting all the gunk off the back of my tongue... we shall see...