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Day 16

Brushing my teeth is a challenge. Probably a side effect of this dry mouth nonsense, but my teeth rarely feel properly clean.

I'm on to my third kind of toothbrush as I look to reach in and around the new framework and actually get the teeth clean.

You don't really realise how just eating normally and chewing your food actually removes any build up on your teeth throughout the day. Now that I'm on an all-mush diet and chewing is out of the question, I notice it completely.

I have always been a fastidious teeth cleaner and I brush pretty hard with a medium strength brush.

Now I'm pretty concerned about doing damage to my braces and am having to reign in my usual gusto while still attempting to clean teeth that feel dirtier than ever. The result? Long periods spent brushing my teeth and some old techniques from childhood which have returned now that I can no longer just scrub thoroughly.

A certain level of precision and finesse has returned to the way I brush my teeth and I feel more like an artist when I get to work rather than an industrial machine.

All the same, the braces can be a treasure trove of items you didn't know were there which directly correlate to feelings of overwhelming embarrassment and disbelief. 

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