Patient Education

For the first couple of days after braces are placed, soft diet is recommended. Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw crunchy fruits and vegetables. Throughout treatment, you should not bite into food as this can break off the brackets on the front teeth

• Foods to avoid include:
• Chewy foods such as bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Hard foods such as nuts, hard candy
• Sticky foods such as caramel, bubble or chewing gum
• Crunchy foods such as popcorn, ice ,corn chips
• Foods you have to bite into such as corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Foreign objects, such as pens, pencils, fingernails are not allowed as these can damage or break brackets. Broken or damaged brackets will prolong the duration of treatment.

General soreness
Your teeth will feel sore for about 3-5 days after initial placement and on subsequent adjustment visits. This can be relieved by taking Advil or Tylenol. You can also with warm salt water rinses. Dissolve 1 teaspoonful of salt in a 8 ounce glass of warm water. We provide you with a piece of U-shaped wax. You can repeatedly chew into the piece of wax to relief soreness.

The lips, cheeks and tongue may become irritated by rubbing against the brackets. You can place wax ( which we provide) on the brackets to lessen the irritation

Loosening of teeth
This is normal and is to be expected. Teeth must loosen up in order to move. The teeth will again become fixed in their new corrected positions.

Oral hygiene
It is very important that you keep your teeth clean throughout the duration of treatment. You should keep your 6 month appointment with your dentist, just like you did before orthodontic treatment. You should brush your teeth every time you eat in order to keep food and plaque off your teeth.

All the steps involved in keeping oral hygiene will be dicussed with you at the initial banding appointment

Brushing
Use a soft/medium toothbrush. Brush above and below the braces using a circular motion. Be sure to brush the insides and biting surfaces. And take your time.
An interdental or proxy brush is used to clean under the archwires and around the braces. It is used as a supplement to a regular toothbrush. Use carefully and slowly so as not to break any brackets

Flossing
Daily flossing is part of a good oral hygiene regimen. Insert floss behind the wire with a floss threader. Gently clean sides of your teeth and under gums with an up-and-down motion. Floss at least once a day.

                                                    EMERGENCY CARE

Loose bracket or band
If it is still attached to the wire, leave it in place. If uncomfortable, cover with wax. If it comes out completely, bring it with you to the next appointment

Wire out of the tube
If uncomfortable, cover with wax or wet cotton. Call for an appointment

Poking archwire
Try to bend wire with a pencil eraser or spoon or Q-tip. If unsuccessful, cover with wax. Call for an appointment

Soreness from braces
Rinse with warm salt water. Also, take the pain reliever that you would use for a headache. Chew into the U-shaped wax that we provide at your initial banding appointment.

Retainers
Wear them as directed. Wearing those retainers after your braces are removed is the best way to preserve that healthy, beautiful smile you worked so hard to get.
Keep them clean and handle them with care. Whenever your retainer is not in your mouth, make sure it is in its case for safety