Hi, Sharon-

You could also try a bulb syringe for rinsing -- squirt it right up there in your surgical site (gently) and lots of stuff should come out. That's what I was told to do from the very beginning, and I do it religiously one or two times a day now. Salty warm water works best. The bulb syringe at least keeps you from poking too hard up there with a stick.

Sharon,
Has your doctor suggested rinsing with a salt and baking soda rinse? I did this for along time, prior to beginning to use the water pick. I usally would rinse with this solution and let it run out my nose and would cover each nostril and blow out until I would get it to run clear.

Sharon

Sharon,

My partner just had surgery 10 days ago and is facing the exact issues with cleaning that you are. (Your post is almost word-for-word what he said to me in asking me to look on the forum for advice.) Please let me know if you come up with anything else.

Thanks,

Danny

I am new here. I had an inferior maxillectomy and neck dissection on 8/16/2010. I have an interim obturator now but will be getting a definitive one very soon. I have not met anyone that wears one. I still have problems with it irritating my mouth and hurting. It is better after some of the alignments than others, but never has it been as good as I had expected. It has been almost 3 weeks since my last one and I have leakage, my speech is not very good, my bite is off, and there is irritation.

Should I expect the same with the definite obturator as with the interim one?

Linda