Surviving Braces

So I went to the store today and I noticed that I get excited every time that I walk by the oral hygiene section, is this a normal reaction?? As I was looking through I found a bunch of pointless items that I would never use on my teeth, and that got me thinking of all the things I would be lost without. So here is a list of items that I use on a daily basis with my braces to keep them looking as nice as they can.

I would be so insanely lost without my Burt's Bees lip balm. I know I hear a lot of people talk about aquaphor, but I cant seem to find it, maybe it's not in Canada, who knows. I like Burt's Bees because it is all natural and it doesn't have any ingredients thats cause you to become somewhat addicted to putting it on. I have one that is beeswax and another that is honey and they both work great. The white one in the picture is just one my ortho gave it, it doesn't do much for me, but if I'm desperate and I have nothing else I'll use it. And the green circle looking one is EOS, it doesn't do much for me either but I still use it because its fun :P Before braces my lips were never dry or chapped and I never had a problem, and now I can't go a day without putting lip balm on. 

Sorry for the tooth brush with tooth paste all over it, I am a messy brusher. I was using crest prohealth before, but when I got braces I switched to Pronamel. I know that braces can take their toll on your enamel of your teeth and I eat SOO much fruit so the acid can really do some damage. I dont think it is a huge deal what tooth paste you use, as long as it works for you. Side note my dentist told me to stay away from any whiting tooth pastes because they do ruin the enamel on your teeth because they are abrasive. 

These little brushes are amazing, they get all those little spots that my big tooth brush cant get to and I love them. I use them all around the brackets to make sure that I don't get that yellow hue that you sometimes see around people braces. I am so paranoid of having braces stains on my teeth. I probably use these once or twice a day. 

I just discovered these little guys today at the store. I used to use the bigger version of these before I had braces and they made flossing so quick and easy. When I got braces I was so bummed that I actually had to take my time and weave the floss in and out. BUT these fit beside your wire so you can use them with braces! Amazing!! But I still will use my manual floss with that little loopy thing to get in there if needed. I floss twice a day because I'm a little bit OCD. 

My Waterpik! It's not as fancy as all the other ones I see on blogs but it works for me. I mean I still get water all over myself, the sink and the mirror from time to time but It does the trick. I like to use it RIGHT when I'm done eating so it gets all those huge chunks out of your teeth. Nothing is as gross as finding a chunk of food in your mouth when you haven't eaten in hours, yuck. 

This isn't for my braces, but it is for my TMJD. I was talking to one of the other bloggers begging her for advice on how to relieve jaw pain. And she had mentioned putting a heating pad on it and taking an advil. Great advice :) +Natasha Sephton-Pike check out her blog if you haven't yet, it's amazing. I am not a huge fan of taking medications frequently, so I gave this warming pack a try and it is fantastic! I recommend it a million times over. But for those really bad days, especial right after an adjustment, I use Advil.

So there it is, my survival guide :)

Hopefully someone some where finds this a little bit helpful !