Life with Braces

Your Teeth May Feel Tender

Although the bonding procedure is generally comfortable, it is perfectly normal for your teeth to become sensitive or tender as they begin responding to the gentle forces generated by your new archwires.

This tenderness commonly develops during the first several hours, is often most noticeable over the following two or three days, and generally diminishes as your teeth adjust.

Initially, we recommend choosing softer foods that require less chewing.

Your Teeth May Feel Tender

Although the bonding procedure is generally comfortable, it is perfectly normal for your teeth to become sensitive or tender as they begin responding to the gentle forces generated by your new archwires.

This tenderness commonly develops during the first several hours, is often most noticeable over the following two or three days, and generally diminishes as your teeth adjust.

Initially, we recommend choosing softer foods that require less chewing.

Your Lips and Cheeks Will Need Time to Adjust

Your new brackets may feel slightly bulky or unfamiliar against the inside of your lips and cheeks.

Your mouth will gradually adapt to the presence of the appliances. In the meantime, orthodontic relief wax can be placed over brackets that cause localised irritation.

We will show you how to use this before you leave.

Your Bite May Feel Different

If protective bite supports have been placed on your back teeth, you may notice that your teeth no longer meet in quite the same way.

This is intentional. These small supports create sufficient clearance to protect your new braces from unwanted contact during biting and chewing.

Although eating may initially feel unfamiliar, most patients gradually adapt. We will explain what to expect and how these supports will be managed as your treatment progresses.

Eating With Your New Braces

For the first few days, softer foods such as pasta, yoghurt, scrambled eggs, soups and other easy-to-chew meals are often more comfortable.

Throughout your orthodontic treatment, you will need to avoid biting directly into hard foods and chewing particularly hard, crunchy or sticky foods that could damage or dislodge your brackets.

Foods such as apples and carrots can still be enjoyed when appropriately cut into small, manageable pieces.

Keeping Your Teeth and Braces Clean

Excellent oral hygiene is especially important during orthodontic treatment.

Brackets and archwires create additional surfaces where plaque and food particles can accumulate. Careful brushing around your appliances, together with appropriate interdental cleaning, will help protect your teeth and gums throughout treatment.

We will demonstrate the recommended cleaning techniques and explain how to keep your smile healthy while your teeth are being aligned.

When you brush your teeth, move the brush in small, circular motions to reach food particles that may be under your gum line. Hold the toothbrush at an angle and brush slowly and carefully, covering all areas between teeth, between your braces and the surface of each tooth. It will take you several minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth. Brush up on the lower teeth, down on the upper teeth and the outside, inside and chewing surface of your front and back teeth. Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth before you rinse.

In addition to your normal toothbrush, an Interproximal (or “spiral”) toothbrush may assist in cleaning underneath and around your wires and braces. Use the Interproximal toothbrush gently to avoid damaging your wires. Interproximal brushes can be obtained from your local Pharmacy.

During orthodontic treatment it is recommended that you brush your teeth four times daily to avoid the accumulation of food particles in your teeth and braces: in the morning after breakfast, after lunch or right after school, after dinner and at bedtime.

We recommend that you take your toothbrush to school or work so that your teeth can be cleaned after lunch. We also ask that you clean your teeth prior to your orthodontic appointment. We have an area in our clinic specifically set aside for tooth brushing. Just ask one of our staff to show you where this is.

You may also need to replace your toothbrush more often now that you are wearing orthodontic appliances. As soon as the bristles start to wear down or fray, replace your toothbrush with a new one.

For areas between the teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach, we recommend you use dental floss to remove food particles and plaque.

We also understand it’s challenging to use regular dental floss when you’re got braces on. Floss Threaders are like soft plastic, bendable sewing needles that can be threaded with standard waxed dental floss to make flossing much easier. Sometimes it helps to tie the floss onto the threader before you begin flossing.

Alternatively, you may wish to obtain a product called Super Floss from your local Pharmacy. Super Floss is a pre-cut length of floss that has an in-built threader. This in-built threader enables you to guide the floss above/below the arch wire and floss right up to the gum line where plaque can build up.

Please use care when flossing around your archwire and do not floss too forcefully or put too much pressure on it. When you first begin flossing around your braces, your gums may bleed a little. If the bleeding does not go away after the first few times, please let a staff member know at your next appointment

Flossing takes more time and patience when you are wearing braces, but it is important to floss your teeth every day. The most important time to floss is at night to make sure your teeth are clean before you go to bed.

An antibacterial mouthwash will reduce inflammation to your gums and cheeks. It helps to prevent infection and reduce irritation that may develop from wearing braces. Rinse your mouth with two teaspoons of mouthwash (half a capful) for one minute and then spit it out. You may use mouthwash up to four times daily following your schedule for brushing. Just like using antiseptic or Betadine for a scrape on your skin, mouthwash helps the inside of your mouth heal. Mouthwash can be used for general irritation caused by your braces or for canker sores, cheek bites and other minor temporary injuries to the gums.

Since food particles and plaque can accumulate on your appliance just as they do on your teeth, you should brush your removable appliance every day with an old toothbrush, cold water and liquid hand soap.

To remove the build-up of any calcium deposits from your appliance, you should soak the appliance in white vinegar for 20 minutes 1 to 2 times per week. You can also use a denture cleaner such as Polident to freshen it up. Your appliance may taste better, and this will also help prevent plaque and bacteria accumulation.

You can still play contact sport like football, netball, basketball, soccer and hockey when wearing braces. We do recommend, however, wearing a mouth guard to protect your teeth, lips, cheeks and braces from accidental knocks during sport.

If your mouth guard is too tight fitting, it may interfere with your braces. If a mouth guard rubs, we suggest trimming it until it is comfortable. Alternatively you might want to get a mouth guard that fits more comfortably. If you choose to purchase a remouldable mouthguard, such as a ShockDoctor from Rebel Sports, be sure to get the adult size to allow room for the brackets when moulding it to fit accurately. As your teeth are continuously on the move, your mouthguard may need to be check and remoulded over time. Sometimes this can be on a weekly basis during seasonal sport.

It is important that you maintain your normal six-monthly visits to your family dentist or school clinic during your orthodontic treatment to ensure your oral health is maintained. Orthodontic treatment may need to be put on hold or stopped altogether if there is a significant deterioration in your oral health during the active treatment period.