Initially, your braces will feel like they stick out, or your mouth feels full. This is normal. As you become accustomed to your braces, this sensation will go away. Although the brackets are rounded, you may find it helpful to use wax around any brackets that are causing irritation until your cheeks are toughened. If your supply of wax runs out, you may stop by our office to pick up more.
You will probably notice some discomfort beginning 4–6 hours after your braces are placed. Some teeth may be tender and sensitive to pressure, making it difficult to chew. This soreness dissipates within the first week. You may want to take ibuprofen or Tylenol® (or whatever you would normally take for a headache). Also, rinsing with warm salt water can help relieve the soreness of your teeth and gums.
It is important to understand that taking great care of your teeth is necessary during treatment. We grade your brushing at each visit. Our grade scale is
If a score of 4 is consistent, we reserve the right to interrupt treatment until hygiene is under control.
Continue to see your family dentist every 6 months for your regular cleaning and checkup. If you would like us to remove the wires prior to your dental visit, please call us a few weeks ahead of time to schedule an appointment.
You may have bite turbos placed either on the biting surface of your back teeth or behind your upper front teeth. These turbos are placed to keep your upper teeth from biting on the braces on your lower teeth or to keep your upper and lower teeth apart so your teeth will move faster. Bite turbos do take some time to get used to. If a turbo comes off, please call our office.
Most often, brackets come off due to chewing forces. This is why it is important to stick with a soft food diet and let us know if a bite turbo comes off and you are biting on a bracket. Braces also come loose when the teeth get wet with saliva during the placement of the brackets. Some mouths make it difficult to maintain total dryness during the process of placing braces. The enamel on some teeth can be resistant to the bracket gluing process, especially when a tooth has a large filling or crown. Brackets can also come loose when playing contact sports. We offer mouth guards that fit around your braces and teeth to help protect them.
If brackets fail or come loose, it is usually in the early stage of treatment. If brackets come loose later in treatment, it is almost always due to biting forces and not paying close attention to the foods you are eating. Loose brackets or bands extend the length of treatment beyond the estimated date of completion. Therefore, it is important for us to be in a partnership while caring for your braces.
An adjustment usually consists of advancing your wires. The tight feeling will occur when new wires are placed. Usually, a few days after your tightening, your teeth will feel much better!
We like to reward you for your great effort! You can earn Warren Points when
You then use your Warren Points to buy really cool prizes that you can get here in our office!
Even if you’re careful, you may still occasionally damage your braces or appliance. An emergency is something that is hurting and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. A broken bracket is NOT an emergency so long as it’s not hurting the patient. We can repair most brackets at the next follow-up visit, but please call the office when a bracket breaks so we can make note of the repair. If the bracket comes completely off the wire, please keep the bracket and bring it with you to your next appointment. If your appliance is damaged or broken, please call the office so we can schedule an appointment as soon as possible, and make sure to bring all the loose or broken parts with you to the appointment.
