General Soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to seven days. If the tenderness is severe, take whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how! Rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater mouthwash can also help. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously.

Eating with Braces

What can you eat? For the first day or so, stick to especially soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. You'll need to protect your braces when you eat for as long as you're wearing them because damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

Foods to Avoid

• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces.

Loosening of Teeth

This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved. The teeth will again become rigidly fixed in their new corrected positions.

Loose Wire or Band

Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. If wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax or wet cotton on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office if you are in discomfort for an appointment to check and repair the appliances.

Brushing

It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy after orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease may also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment.

Special orthodontic brushes help you clean easier around your braces. It is important to brush above and below the braces to ensure you are cleaning all of your tooth surfaces. The use of floss threaders will help you floss your teeth. We will show you ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy when you are in braces!

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