The number one rule is to keep your appliances safe and clean. Brushing your teeth after eating will help you avoid cavities and bad breath, as well as keep your smile attractive during the process.
Why Are My Gums Sore?
For the first couple of days, you will experience some general tenderness in your mouth and your teeth may feel sore when chewing food. This is normal and will eventually go away. You can rinse your mouth with a warm saltwater solution to relieve the discomfort: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt into 8 ounces of warm water and swish vigorously between your teeth and gums. If the tenderness is severe, take whatever pain reliever you would for a normal headache or pain relief.
Your lips, cheeks, and tongue will also need to toughen up and get used to the surface of the braces. We will show you how to use wax on the braces to help ease the transition.
How Do I Brush My Teeth with Braces?
It is more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces. Besides keeping your appliances clean, this will ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy after your braces are removed. Food particles are easily trapped in your braces, leading to tooth decay and gum disease; use a soft toothbrush and toothpaste to clean your teeth and braces after every meal.
How Do I Floss with Braces?
There are special products available at your local drugstore or superstore designed to help you floss between your teeth while wearing braces: floss threaders, SuperFloss, or oral irrigators. Floss threaders can be used with any type of floss, SuperFloss (made by Oral-B) is spongy floss with a built in “threading” implement, and oral irrigators use water pressure to clean between teeth. Whichever method is right for you, be sure to floss EVERY DAY!
Why Do My Teeth Feel Loose?
Don’t worry — this is perfectly normal! Before your teeth can move, they must loosen; your teeth will become rigidly fixed in their new corrected positions near the end of your treatment.
Why Do I Need Rubber Bands?
Your teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if you consistently wear the rubber bands or other appliances as prescribed by your orthodontist. These items are used to help move the teeth and jaw into their new positions, and avoiding them will only lengthen your treatment time. If you want to get your braces off sooner rather than later, wear your rubber bands faithfully.
Can I Still Play Sports and Musical Instruments?
If you play sports, it’s important to talk to us about any special precautions. We recommend mouth guards for sports where there is a possibility of contact to the mouth. We want you to protect your braces, teeth and mouth from damage or injury. As far as musical instruments go, wind instruments such as trumpets will take a little getting used to; one you adjust, you can play to your heart’s content.