Life With Braces
Congratulations On Your Braces Journey!
This marks a significant milestone on your journey toward a radiant and healthy smile. While it’s an exciting time, adjusting to braces may require some patience and learning. However, with time, these adjustments will become second nature to you.
Life with Braces: Soreness
After you initially get your braces on, it’s common to experience some tenderness or soreness in your teeth and mouth. Rest assured, this discomfort is temporary and will go away over time. To alleviate the discomfort, we suggest preparing a solution of one teaspoon of salt dissolved in eight ounces of lukewarm water.
Gently swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for a couple of minutes, but make sure you do not swallow the salt water.
If the pain persists or becomes severe despite rinsing, you may consider taking a pain reliever. It’s typical for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to undergo irritation for one to two weeks as they adapt to your new appliances.
We’re also happy to provide you with some wax that can be applied over the braces to help with tenderness. Simply let us know if you need assistance with this.
Caring For Your Braces
Adjusting to brushing with braces may require some practice, especially navigating around brackets and wires. It’s essential to brush thoroughly after each meal or snack to remove any food particles before bacteria can accumulate. If you are not able to brush immediately, rinse your mouth with water in the meantime.
Here are some tips for optimal brushing with braces:
Dealing With Common Braces Issues
To ensure the efficiency of your treatment, it’s vital to maintain your appliances in good condition. Consistently wearing rubber bands, headgear, retainers, or other prescribed appliances is essential for guiding your teeth and jaw into their correct positions. However, we understand that accidents happen. Here are some common occurrences that can happen when wearing braces:
Loose Teeth
Feeling some looseness in your teeth? No need to fret! It’s a natural part of the process. Braces work by initially loosening your teeth to guide them into proper alignment. Once they’re repositioned, that looseness will disappear.
Loose Wires, Bands, & Brackets
Occasionally, the wires and bands of your braces may become loose. If this occurs, please reach out to us promptly for a check-up and any necessary repairs. If a piece of your appliance comes off, save it and bring it with you to the office.
In the meantime, you can temporarily address a loose wire by gently nudging it back into place with the back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil. If the wire is causing discomfort, apply wax or a moistened cotton ball to alleviate any irritation to your lips or cheeks.
Misplaced Archwire, Bracket, or Tie
As your teeth adjust during treatment, the archwire connecting them may shift, potentially causing discomfort near the back of your mouth. You can often reposition this wire using a pencil eraser or cotton swab. Misplaced wires or ties can also be gently manipulated back into place with clean tweezers.
If wires or brackets are causing irritation, applying orthodontic wax can offer temporary relief. However, it’s important to contact our office promptly to address the underlying issue rather than solely alleviating symptoms at home.
Advice for Athletes and Musicians
While undergoing treatment, you can continue playing sports as usual, but it’s essential to safeguard your teeth. Consider using an orthodontic-friendly mouth guard or removing your Invisalign® aligners during practice or games.
In the event of an accident during athletic activities, promptly examine your appliances and mouth. If you notice any damage to the appliances or if your teeth feel loose, be sure to schedule an appointment for assessment.
For musicians, adjusting to playing with braces may present some challenges, particularly in achieving proper lip position. It’s normal to experience initial difficulties.
Occasional sores may develop, but applying wax and rinsing with warm salt water can expedite the toughening of your lips and cheeks more rapidly than you might expect.
Schedule Your Complimentary Consultation in Huntington, New York Today!
Your initial consultation is free of charge, and you can even begin your treatment on the same day. Experience the confidence of having a beautifully aligned and healthy smile!
