Braces Care Instructions

It is normal for your teeth to feel achy after new forces are placed on them for the first time. Soreness WILL go away and you WILL get used to your new appliances. In the meantime, take Ibuprofen or Tylenol to stop the aching pain.

You may get a blister or sore here and there, but warm salt water rinses work wonders. Take a teaspoon of salt and mix it in a cup of warm water until it’s dissolved. Swish it around in your mouth for several seconds, then spit and repeat!

Apply wax, such as OrthoDots or GishyGoo over whatever is irritating your soft tissue. Be sure to first dry off the part of the appliance that is digging into you with a cotton swab, roll the wax in between your fingers to soften it, then gently press it into the area offending your gums or cheek.

It is completely normal for your teeth to feel slightly loose. In orthodontic treatment, we are moving your teeth within your bone to a new, better position. There is transient mobility in the process but the teeth will become firm once the teeth reach their final position and are stabilized.

Your bite is in a dynamic state during treatment. Sometimes, it will have to feel worse before it feels better—this is normal!

Some teeth feel forces differently at times during treatment. As long as the discomfort goes away within a week or two, there is nothing to worry about.

If you have severe pain that does not go away after a few days and with Advil or Tylenol, please call or text the office so we can have everything checked out.

Loose/detached bracket: Brackets, bands, etc. are bonded firmly to the teeth, but they do need to be removed at the end of treatment without damaging your teeth, so the bond is not so strong that it can withstand heavy forces from biting down on crunchy foods/candies or items such as pens. It’s not unusual to have some debonding occur while you’re getting used to eating with braces. If you notice a bracket has come debonded from a tooth, it’s not urgent to fix it—this is not an emergency. If the moving bracket bothers your teeth, place wax on the loose bracket, and call or text the office so we can arrange for a appointment to make you comfortable or fix it as needed, or we can plan to fix it at your next regularly scheduled appointment. After you’re thoroughly accustomed to new braces/appliances, breakage should happen far more infrequently, and it’s up to you to make sure you’re eating carefully to avoid breakage that will delay treatment and/or compromise final results.

Loose band: With gentle finger pad pressure, press the band back around the tooth. Eat soft, non-sticky foods. Call or text the office and we will arrange for a comfort visit to fix it as needed.

Poking wire: Although every effort is made to make sure you leave your adjustment visits with nothing that could poke or scratch you, the wires in your mouth move slightly as your teeth straighten and as you chew food. This can cause new irritations in between office visits. First, try placing wax on the end of the poking wire. Make sure the area you place wax is dry. Sometimes your cheeks just need time to acclimate to the wires, just like your skin does with a new pair of sandals that at first causes blisters. In the first few months of treatment, your braces wire is thin and flexible and can be cut with a nail clipper if it is bothering you. Warm salt water rinses also help to heal irritation from poking wires. If you don’t feel better in a day or two, call or text the office to arrange a comfort visit. You can also snap a photo of the area bothering you and text or email it to us. We can often remotely walk you through how to resolve the issue at home.

Sore in mouth: Place wax over the appliance that is digging into your mouth. Take Advil. Call or text the office and arrange a comfort visit.