new braces

New Braces

Congratulations! Your orthodontic treatment is now under way.

Soreness
Your teeth may be sore for a couple of days. You will probably prefer soft foods until you get used to your braces. Chewing sugarless stick-free gum (for example Freedent) will help you adapt more quickly. An Ibuprofen product, such as Advil or Motrin, will help with soreness. Tylenol does not seem to help as well. We strongly recommend you begin taking your pain reliever immediately and continue for 3 days without interruption to reduce any discomfort.

Irritation
Your cheeks and lips may become irritated by the braces. Don't worry, they will heal and get tougher. To prevent some irritation and to allow the tissues to heal, press a generous piece of the wax found in your "goodie bag" directly onto the part of the braces that is causing the irritation. The first night you should press some wax over all the braces on your front teeth on top and on bottom to reduce the irritation. Peroxyl rinse is also provided to help the healing process.

If a wire is poking, try to bend it out of the way (with the handle of a spoon or the rubber end of a pencil) or cut it with a fingernail clipper. Be careful not to snip your cheek and make sure you hold a cotton swab over the loose end so it doesn't fly into your throat when you clip it. If you can't get to it, try to put some wax on it and make an appointment to come into the office so that we can trim it for you.

Comfort Adjustments
Sometimes, especially in the beginning of treatment, the brackets may come loose. The adhesive is designed so that we can get the braces off at the end of treatment. Because everyone's teeth are different, the bond strength is also different for each person, but you can rest assured that the majority of our patients complete their treatment with only one or often no such problems.

Loose Brackets
If a bracket does come loose, please call to schedule an appointment to have it repaired. Loose brackets can sometimes be left until the next regularly scheduled appointment, but we must know so that we can allow extra time for the repair, EVEN if it happens the same day as your regular appointment. If we are not informed and the time is not scheduled, either the repair or the scheduled appointment will have to wait. This policy is to ensure that we remain on time for your scheduled appointments. If there is a loose bracket and it's still on the archwire, make sure to keep the tooth underneath clean while you're waiting to come in to have it fixed.

Loose Bands
Sometimes we place metal rings that go all the way around the back teeth. We call these molar bands. If a molar band comes loose, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Food can get stuck under a loose band where it is impossible to clean and the tooth could be damaged.

Bring It With You
Always bring any loose parts off your braces or other appliance with you to the next appointment. There may be charges for replacement parts when you forget to bring the loose parts with you.

Use the Diagram
When you are not sure what some part of the appliance is called, refer to the diagram in your consultation book that you received at your first visit.

Hard, Crunchy and Sticky
Remember, no hard, crunchy, or sticky foods. Especially, NO ICE. It will break something. Also, if you have any bands or crowns, there is NO POPCORN allowed. The husks will get trapped deep in your gums and require surgery to be removed.

Brush, Floss, Fluoride
Brush after every meal, or as soon as you have a chance (three times a day). Don't rush. It should take three to five minutes each time. Use your Phosflur fluoride rinse daily. See the instructions for brushing.

Thermal Archwire Activation
Be sure to rinse daily with hot water, the wires you have at first are heat activated. If you do not rinse, your teeth will not move, so remember, right now you are in control of how fast you want your teeth to move.

If you have any questions, or if any problems come up, please call us. We are always happy to help in any way we can.