What To Expect When Getting Braces

When you first get braces you need to learn how to adjust too many things. You may have a hard time closing your lips because you now have an extra barrier over your teeth. It will take getting used to as to feeling if you can close them all the way and properly. Some people feel as if their lips feel puffy and bigger than they really are. The Braces may rub on your cheeks causing irritation that will take getting used to. Your teeth may feel sore as they will have a brand new sense of pressure placed on them they haven’t had before. You will need to get used to eating differently. Foods that you used to be able to bite into, you will now need to cut up. Everyone can tolerate chewing and biting into food differently with braces. A simple task as brushing your teeth will need more attention and you will be brushing longer. Remember you now not only have your teeth to brush but also the brackets and bands placed in your mouth.

After a few days of getting used to having braces on you will learn to adjust to it. This may take a few days and some it takes about a month. By your first adjustment you should be now have gotten used to having them on. Some need to take Tylenol or ibuprofen for the discomfort. If this does not help and things are rubbing or uncomfortable you may want to use the dental wax. At your bracketing appointment the orthodontist may place some buildups on your teeth. They normally are placed on two of your lower molars. One on each side. The reason to have these placed is you may bite down and hit your lower brackets. This prevents you from biting them and breaking them off. It will feel as if you cannot bite down properly like you are used to. It’s sometimes an annoyance. These will soon be removed once your bite is adjusted to where you no longer bite down on those brackets. If a bracket happens to break or come off your tooth because of eating something you should not have been, this is not necessarily an emergency. You may leave the bracket off until your following appointment at which it may be repaired. The time you should call to make an emergency appointment is if one of the top or bottom 4 front brackets come off. Then you will want to be seen. Also if wax doesn’t help with a bracket or band or arch wire rubbing or poking call to get in.

After a bout a few weeks or a month you should have now become accustomed to braces. You will have gotten used to brushing and flossing and eating with the braces on. You may notice slight changes in your teeth already. You will go in to see the orthodontist in about one month to do your first adjustment. They may just change the colored ties or also may step you up to a heavier arch wire. Sometimes you may notice spaces that open or close as well. This is all part of the process. After a few months you should notice your teeth straighter. Your treatment is off to a good start. You may notice that the orthodontist may change the colored ties to a power chain to close any spaces that you had or that opened up with the wire change. They may also later on have you wear elastics to help correct your bite. Some need to wear them all the time and some just at night.

Sooner or later you will be at your last appointment and learning you will be able to get your braces off. The orthodontist will advise you when you are able to. They normally will finish your treatment with making you retainers that you will need to wear as long as you want your teeth to stay perfect!!