Brushing Discovery: secret for a more pleasant way to brush teeth and splint

As most of we TMJDers know, a splint is required to be worn about 9 months post TMJ surgery.  Some are quite restricting and the person does not "eat" with it in, because they cannot open their mouths. However, some, like mine, while still stabilizing the jaw, allow the person to talk and eat and open her mouth with it in.  So, it can be worn about 23 hours and 40 min a day, thus collecting a lot of food in the process.

It doesn't matter how small or large of a meal you eat... or how many, the splint will collect the same amount of food, due to its size/capacity and amount of crevices.  So, when one takes it out to brush it can be disgusting as far as taste, feeling, and looks.

I have a solution though...to take care of most of the bad feeling and ALL of the bad taste that comes with taking the splint out to brush.  My secret weapon is Listerine Breath Strips.  Pop one right before you go to brush your teeth.  First of all, it gets rid of all the bad tastes that are soaked up in your splint, and second, it sort of numbs your mouth temporarily. 

My brushing process for the "modified removable Herbst appliance":

Things needed and their Uses:

1 Listerine Breath Strip
1 Plastic or paper bowl for non-alcohol mouthwash soak

2 paper towels for surfaces for splint

1 electric toothbrush with small head for teeth cleaning

1 regular toothbrush for sporadic splint cleaning
1 allen wrench for any needed adjustments (comes with splint)
1 toothpick for tight teeth spots
2 paper cups for rinsing before and after brushing
Non-alcoholic Listerine for splint soaking
Scope Outlast for mouthwash
Toothpaste, (use your favorite)

My Protocol:

-First, Take your splint out and rinse it quickly, have a plastic cup of water ready, and put your splint in the bowl of mouthwash to soak, and immediately rinse your mouth with the cup of water.  
-Then, I use an electric toothbrush with a small head to gently clean and reach all my teeth.  (NOTE: already have the toothpaste on the brush before removing the splint so there is no time spent doing that while your mouth still tastes bad.) 
-Next, I rinse my mouth with the Scope Outlast mouthwash.  
-Now, time for the splint: (NOTE: usually only soak the splint so it won't wear out) Using the regular toothbrush and toothpaste, scrub the two pieces of the appliance gently. Then rinse them under running water.
-Then put the wet splint pieces on paper towel #1 and dry them off, especially the metal tubes and pistons, so you can get a firm grip on them to put the top and bottom pieces back together.
-Now, dry your hands for the same reason as above after moving the appliance to dry paper towel #2.
-Use the toothpick for any food in between teeth as you may not be able to open wide enough or may be too sensitive to floss.
-Assemble your fresh food-less, odorless, colorless splint, and put it back into your mouth how you usually do.


Now, your mouth feels clean until you eat the next piece of food. That is why I usually do it shortly after a big meal.  


If anyone has some more tricks of the trade, please comment!  Hopefully we can all come together and make our recoveries as pleasant as possible!