Life With Braces
Getting Used to Braces
Every orthodontic patient will experience a period of adjustment when his or her appliances are initially placed. The first few days of wearing braces are typically the most challenging. During this time you may feel a general soreness in your mouth and your teeth may be tender to biting pressure for a few days. Depending on the type of braces you have been given, it may also take a week or two for the lips, cheek, and tongue to get accustomed to the presence of the appliances. It is important that you keep in mind that these sensations will pass.
Guide to Eating
During the time that you are wearing braces it is very important to be careful about what you are eating as well as more diligent in keeping your teeth and orthodontic appliances very clean. Eating certain foods (especially hard, sticky, crunchy, or tough foods) and certain oral habits (like chewing ice, biting pens, or nail biting) can be very damaging to braces. Risky oral behaviors can lead to frequent breakage of orthodontic appliances, which may significantly prolong your treatment time and compromise your treatment outcome.
Mouthguards
Taking care to protect your braces from damage and your mouth from injury is extremely important. Wearing a mouthguard while participating in sports is a good way to safeguard your appliances as well as your smile. It is important that you wear a mouthguard that has been specifically designed to fit over your braces. Our office can guide you in selecting the most suitable one.
Oral Hygiene
Keeping your teeth, gums, and orthodontic appliances clean over the course of care is of the utmost importance. Food and plaque are easily trapped in the tiny spaces between your braces as well as underneath your removable appliances or aligners. In the absence of good oral hygiene you are at an increased risk of developing dental decay, areas of decalcification or stains on your teeth. Furthermore, your gums can become irritated and inflamed and you may even develop a dental infection.
Retainers
Preserving and stabilizing the result of your orthodontic treatment is known as “retention” and the appliances used for this purpose are called “retainers”. Almost every individual who has undergone orthodontic care will need to wear some type of a retainer.
There are two major kinds of orthodontic retainers. A removable retainer is one that can be taken in and out of the mouth, while a permanent retainer is fixed or bonded to the back of the teeth. Before removing your braces our orthodontist will explain which of the available retainer options you will need to maintain your smile.
