Braces and appliances are something completely new to your mouth. There will be a period of adjustment. For most patients, this usually lasts a few days. Your teeth might get sore and you might develop some areas of irritation along you cheeks, lips and gums. You might also notice increased saliva and slight speech impairment. This is normal and will go back to normal. It’s like having a new pair of shoes that are a little snug in some areas. After wearing them for a few days, you get used to them.
Take Home Kit
- We provide our patients with this kit to help them get used to their new braces.
- Wax is used to cover areas that are causing irritation. The wax will stick best if the area is dry before application. The area can be dried with a tissue or Q-tip. Take a small piece of wax between your finger and thumb and roll it into a ball. This will soften the wax and make it easier to apply. Just push the soft piece of wax on the area that is bothering you. Don’t worry if you swallow the wax. It won’t hurt you. If the wax won’t stick, some patients like to get a wet cotton ball and place it in the area of irritation. This acts like a pillow and is especially useful at night.
- Benzodent can be applied to areas that are already irritated. Benzodent will form a layer over top of the irritation that will prevent it from getting worse. It also has a medicine in it that will numb the area and make it feel better while it is healing.
- Rincinol can be swished in your mouth (and then spit out) when you have a lot of small areas of irritation. It will have a similar effect as the Benzodent.
- Peroxyl or Warm Salt Water can also be used to rinse (and then spit out) to make areas feel better. These will both help to keep irritated areas clean and help them heal faster.
- The Bite Wafer is used to exercise your teeth. During the first few days you want to eat a softer diet. This is more comfortable since your teeth might be a little sore. Exercising your teeth with the bite wafer will help the blood flow around your gums and make the soreness go away faster.
- Each patient is unique, and their needs are different. For some people, the use of an over-the-counter medicine similar to that taken for a headache can be used to help the soreness. If this is needed, it is usually only for a day or two.
Brushing and Flossing
- Keeping your teeth and braces clean is one of the most important things that you can do to guarantee a good result. Poor oral hygiene during braces can lead to increased treatment time, poor overall results, and staining or cavities on the teeth.
- You should try to brush your teeth after every meal. You are being provided with a Travel Toothbrush to keep in your pocket.
- The Hourglass Toothbrush Timer should be used at home while brushing your teeth. This timer lasts three minutes. It takes longer to clean around and under your braces, so use this timer to make sure that you are not brushing too quickly.v
- Use the Proxy Brush to get under the wires and above the braces. The area between the braces and gums is commonly missed by patients with braces. Be sure this area is clean.
- You need to Floss your teeth at least once a day while wearing braces. Use the Floss Threader to get the floss under the wire.
Food and Drink Restrictions:
- Following this list will help prevent broken braces and keep your teeth and gums healthy.
- Avoid sticky foods such as taffy, caramels, gummy candies, starburst, skittles, and gum as they might loosen the bands. Also, avoid hard foods such as ice, nuts, and hard candy as these might cause a bracket to become loos.
- Certain foods such as apples will need to be cut up and then eaten. Don’t bite into an apple as this might cause your braces to become loose.
- Carrots can still be eaten, but they should be cut into long, thin pieces that aren’t hard.
- Avoid crunchy bread, bagels and hard pizza crust.
- You can eat popcorn, but only a piece at a time. This way you can make sure there are no kernels that you might bite down on.
- Limit the number of sugary drinks that you have in one day. Too many can lead to cavities.