For many people life becomes boring and compels you to go in hiding when you wear braces as your mouth becomes full of metal not allowing you to have a pleasant smile. Now-a-days you can wear braces of different shapes, material and colors. Now the typical gray color has gone obsolete and can add personality to your demeanor instead of demeaning your personality.
Initial Few days with Bracing – What to Expect
In the first few days you may experience some tenderness and sensitivity in your mouth and teeth. Some pain reliever, prescribed by your dentist would help. Just ensure that this tenderness and other related issues should simmer down in 8-10 days from receiving braces. You should apply wax on the braces, available in your kit, to avoid any kind of friction and attrition in your inside cheeks by the braces that may lead to sore spots or bruises.
In any case, if you happen to develop sore spots, it is best to rinse your mouth with lukewarm salty water many times throughout the day. In addition, you can also count on over the counter medicines of ulcer like SM 26 or bongela, which you can find in your local medical store. In the initial few days you should avoid any hard food and find solace in softer foods like ice cream, pastas, custards, curd, soups, fish etc.
Care with Brushing
Brushing your teeth for a minimum of two times regularly during wearing braces to dislodge food particles within your teeth and braces is very important. You can fix the time of morning and post dinner.
Type of brush you should use also plays a great role here. Soft bristled toothbrush having a small strip of fluoride toothpaste can do. You should move the bush in circular motion to dislodge food particles stuck under your gum line. Hold your brush in a manner so that it can reach the remotest parts of your mouth and teeth to offer a clean sweep to the food particles and bacteria. Take time to clean your mouth; don’t do it in haste. You should also sweep off the roof and surface of your tongue prior to rinsing your mouth to give it a super clean environment. Just don’t forget to brush over the braces including your gums while doing so.
Care with Flossing
Flossing is also vital while wearing brace. It removes food particles and plaque, lodged between the teeth where toothbrush may not reach. This activity takes more patience and time especially with braces, but don’t get exhausted, as it is imperative to get the best results and avoid any complications.
You should get a reusable floss thread and slide it up and down along every tooth. You should also gently floss along your archwire too but be gentle and do not apply force. It is especially recommended to follow flossing activity at night just to avoid any bacterial formation in your mouth during the night.
Recaldent Chewing Gum
This chewing gum assists in combating acid attacks from plaque, food, bacteria, and mouth acids. In case you are outside and not able to brush so frequently, recaldent chewing gum is the remedy. You should chew it after eating or consuming any high sugar or acidic fluid or foods. Avoid chewing more than 4 pieces in a day.
Tooth Mousse
You may also be advised to use Tooth Mousse. It contains calcium and phosphate, the major minerals teeth are made from. Like saliva, this cream prevents regular acid attack after eating. Take a small amount of cream onto your finger or toothbrush and spread in the areas, which is attached with the bands and brackets. Leave it on for as long as you can in your mouth to get best results. Spit the excess paste and do not rinse your mouth. You can use this paste every night after brushing.
Eating Precautions
You should avoid hard and sticky food like bubble gum, red skin, lolly pops, roll ups, chocolate bars, toffee, hard muesli bars, apricots, almonds, nuts, popcorn and corn chips. You should also stay away from hard biscuits, ice, crusts on pies and pizzas, hard raw fruits or vegetables. Don’t chew fingernails, pencils and pens.
Sports with Braces
If you are an athlete or love sports, you can play sports with your braces on! Just ensure that you wear a mouth guard to safeguard your teeth and your braces. You can also contact your orthodontist if you require help finding the proper mouth guard for protecting your braces.
Loose Wire, Teeth and Bands
With the progressive straightening of your teeth, the arch wire may get loose poking out of the back bands and brackets, rubbing on your cheeks. Under these circumstances, apply wax over the poked wire. In case the wire is too long you can visit your orthodontist for remedy. It is quite common to get 1-2 broken brackets during this phase. It may due to hard or sticky food or playing with the device.
When to Contact Orthodontist
You should consult orthodontist if your brackets or wire has become loose and not holding its place. It may require refitting or cutting to reinstate it.
If you are feeling any discomfort due to wire on your braces like some sort of irritation that is not subsiding, you need to visit your dentist to resolve it by keeping the wire off the irritated area using an eraser or cotton swab.
In the initial week of your braces you are tend to feel some adjustments issues, some soreness, pain, and discomfort. In this case you can rely on Advil or Tylenol until you adjust with your new braces. If you are unable to adjust with the new member in your mouth even after a week, it is advisable to immediately visit your orthodontist for resolving the issues.
Wearing braces is no more a taboo now and there are various ways to select it as per your need and preference. Just ensure you follow the guidelines while the braces are on, you will never face any trouble. Happy bracing !!
