I’ve got braces right now and my ortho keeps telling me not to rinse after brushing, just spit out the extra toothpaste and leave it. I tried it for a...

I get what you mean about the sensitivity—my sister did the in-office whitening and basically lived on ice cream for a week because it was the only th...

Funny you mention the “horror stories”—I was totally that person, reading every worst-case scenario online before my braces came off. I remember my co...

Last year I woke up with the worst toothache—like, couldn’t even think straight. I remember staring at my braces in the mirror, trying to figure out i...

Tried one of those numbing gels after my last root tip surgery—my orthodontist handed me a sample and said it might help with the “annoying” pain, not...

I hear you on the stress thing—my gums always flare up around deadlines, even if I’m brushing and flossing like normal. I tried keeping those little f...

I've actually tried toothpaste on foggy headlights before...it worked surprisingly well at first, but after a couple months they got cloudy again. Did...

I get what you're saying about accepting imperfections, but honestly, I'm still stuck in that mirror-checking phase. 😂 I remember when my orth...

Haha, I totally get what you mean about "listening to your teeth"... it's funny how our bodies kinda tell us what's working and what's not. I never tr...

Wish I'd read this earlier... I tried orange juice thinking it'd be gentle enough, but nope—instant regret. Did anyone else find cold foods soothing? ...

Ugh, I totally relate to the smoothie disappointment. When I first got braces tightened, I thought ice cream would be my savior—soft, easy, delicious,...

My orthodontist actually gave me a tip that helped me stop chewing mine (yep, guilty here too). She recommended switching to an electric toothbrush—sa...

I tried dairy-free yogurt once after my braces adjustment, thinking it'd help just like regular yogurt. Honestly, it didn't feel quite as soothing... ...

That's a really interesting point about insurance—I hadn't even thought about timing payments to maximize coverage. When I got braces as an adult (yea...

Haha, same here—I remember watching endless pizza-making vids at like 2 AM. Did anyone else notice temperature sensitivity lasting longer? Cold stuff ...