Regular flossing and brushing is imperative when you have braces, as it ensures the health of your teeth and gums during orthodontic treatment. If you do not keep your teeth clean, you may need to visit the dentist frequently in order to receive professional cleaning. It is important for adults with gum disease to also visit a periodontist during their orthodontic treatment. Watch the video below to see how braces should be cared for properly during orthodontic treatment.
During the first few days, patients should limit themselves to soft foods and avoid tough meats, hard bread, and raw vegetables. It is important to remember that as long as you are wearing braces, you need to protect your orthodontic appliances.
Also, chewing on hard objects like pens, pencils or fingernails, can potentially damage your braces, which will prolong your treatment
It is natural to feel general soreness in your mouth when you get braces, and for 3-5 days your teeth might be tender to biting pressure. To relieve discomfort, you can take Tylenol, or the painkillers you use when you have a headache. It will take 1-2 weeks for your lips, cheeks and tongue to get used to the braces, during which time they may feel irritated. We will provide you with wax that can be applied to the braces around irritated areas to reduce discomfort.
This is also natural as teeth have to first loosen in order to be repositioned. Teeth will become firm again after they reach their corrected positions when the treatment is complete.
If there is a wire or band that has come loose, there is no cause for concern as this happens sometimes. In such situations when a wire sticks out and starts to cause irritation, you can use a blunt instrument, such as an eraser end of a pencil, to gently to return the wire under the archwire. You could also apply wax or wet cotton on the wire to reduce irritation and discomfort on the lips or mouth. Book an appointment as soon as you can so that your doctor can check and repair the problem.
To ensure orthodontic treatment is successful, the patient needs to cooperate with the orthodontist. In order to allow the teeth and jaws to move to their corrected positions, the patient needs to wear the rubber bands or other appliances consistently and as prescribed. It is important to note that damaged appliances, and a lack of cooperation on behalf of the patient, will cause treatment to take longer, so it is imperative that instructions are followed carefully.
It is important that you let us know if you are active in sports. You will need to use a protective mouthguard for contact sports.
