Do you find it harder to stay motivated with all the extra cleaning steps?
Honestly, yeah, I thought I was prepared for the extra work but wow...braces really do turn your nightly routine into a full-on project. Before braces, brushing and flossing was like, five minutes tops. Now it’s more like a whole episode of something on Netflix. The first week I was super gung-ho—new toothbrush, those little Christmas tree brushes, wax, the works. But after a month? Let’s just say there have been nights where I’ve stared at my Waterpik and just...nope.
Funny thing is, I used to feel guilty about skipping flossing but now, if I skip a night, I just tell myself “hey, at least you didn’t eat popcorn today.” Gotta pick your battles, right? That said, stuff gets stuck in there so easily (especially spinach...why is it always spinach?) that sometimes NOT cleaning feels grosser than the hassle of actually doing it.
I will say though—once you get into a groove and figure out shortcuts (like pre-loading flossers while watching TV), it gets less annoying. And I started keeping a tiny kit in my bag because lunch at work can turn into an archaeological dig if you’re not careful.
Motivation definitely comes and goes. Some days I’m all about the clean-mouth life; other days, meh. But missing here and there hasn’t made a huge difference for me either—my dentist hasn’t yelled at me yet. If anything, braces have made me hyper-aware of what’s going on in my mouth for maybe the first time ever.
Anyway, solidarity—it’s not glamorous but you do get used to it (sort of).
stuff gets stuck in there so easily (especially spinach...why is it always spinach?) that sometimes NOT cleaning feels grosser than the hassle of actually doing it.
This is exactly what I’m worried about. I’m still on the fence about getting braces and the cleaning part sounds like a whole new level of commitment. Love the tip about pre-loading flossers—never would’ve thought of that. Is it weird that I’m actually kind of looking forward to being “hyper-aware” of my teeth for once? Guess I’ll find out if I survive the spinach struggle.
The cleaning is definitely a hassle at first, but honestly, you get into a routine pretty quick. I was worried about the same thing—especially with stuff like spinach or even just bread getting wedged in there—but after a few days, it just becomes part of your day. I started using one of those cheap water flossers from Amazon (nothing fancy, under $30), and it made a huge difference. Way less annoying than regular floss.
I get what you mean about being hyper-aware. I actually ended up taking better care of my teeth in general, just because I had to. Didn’t expect that side effect, but it’s not a bad thing. The only real downside for me was having to budget for extra dental supplies and more frequent cleanings, but nothing too crazy.
If you’re on the fence, I’d say the cleaning is manageable. The spinach struggle is real, though... just gotta be ready for some weird looks after lunch until you can brush.
Yeah, the cost of all the extra stuff caught me off guard too. I tried to keep things cheap—manual floss, travel toothbrush, those little interdental brushes—but it adds up. Still, once I found a routine that worked, it wasn’t as overwhelming as I thought. The water flosser idea sounds smart... might have to give that a shot if my current setup gets too annoying.
- Totally get you on the sticker shock. Those little dental gadgets add up faster than you’d think—my wallet still hasn’t forgiven me for my “just one more tool” phase.
- Water flossers? Game changer for lazy days. Not a must-have, but man, it’s satisfying blasting stuff out from between brackets.
- Once you settle into the routine, it actually gets kind of… automatic? Like muscle memory, just with more drool and less dignity.
- Hang in there. The first few weeks are the hardest. After that, you’ll be flossing like a ninja—on a budget or not.
