What to Expect When Wearing Dental Braces
Modern dental braces are very effective at straightening teeth and are much smaller, more comfortable and often faster than they used to be. If you’re planning on having braces, you may be wondering whether they’ll hurt and what to expect when wearing them. We’ll run you through the process here to give you a better idea about how dental braces work. Knowing what to expect can make the whole process a lot less daunting!
Getting your dental braces fitted
Depending on the braces you’ll be having, fitting them will take around 1-2 hours. Not to worry, you won’t feel any pain during the fitting but your mouth may be a little sore afterwards. The first step is to clean and dry your teeth, and then a special glue will be applied to fix your brackets to your teeth. The brackets will be affixed with the archwires, which are finally secured with elastic bands.
After your fitting
Before you leave your appointment it’s important to check that your dental braces are properly fitted and that you have the supplies and information you need to take care of them. Here are 4 things you can check:
- Use your fingers and tongue to check that there aren’t any parts of the archwire which stick out and could be uncomfortable.
- If you can, stock up on supplies such as dental wax, elastic bands and cleaning tools for braces. Make sure that you have enough to last you till your next appointment.
- Double-check with your orthodontist about your oral routine between your appointments, and things you’ll need to do like wearing headgear and elastic bands. Make sure to ask any questions you have about your diet or looking after your braces and oral hygiene. You might want to write these down so you don’t forget!
- Schedule your next appointment to prevent you delaying it. Delayed appointments could mean that your overall treatment time will be longer than it should.
The first few days
It’s common to feel slight discomfort or soreness when first wearing braces. However, this shouldn’t last more than a week or two. You may also feel discomfort due to the tooth movement after your adjustment appointments.
Pain relief such as paracetamol may help to ease some discomfort for you in these first few days. Dental wax can also be applied over the brackets to reduce any rubbing against the inside of your mouth.
The glue used to affix your dental brackets will take around 24 hours to set fully. Though you can eat any time after your first appointment, there are certain foods that can potentially damage your braces and delay the completion of treatment. Softer foods are best - if you’d like to know what foods to avoid, see our blog on braces care.
Maintaining good oral hygiene is particularly important when you’re wearing braces. This is because food and other particles can become stuck in around the brackets and wires, and the braces can make it more difficult to brush and floss your teeth effectively. We’d recommend rinsing your mouth after every meal with water, as well as flossing and using mouthwash every day. Special brushes can be supplied by your orthodontist to make cleaning easier.
If you experience any problems?
If your brackets or archwires become loose or your braces break, call your orthodontist straight away and book an appointment. Again, delaying this could mean you’ll have to wear your braces for longer than expected.
Wearing braces does take some commitment, though just remember that your treatment is an investment that will leave you with a perfectly straight smile you’ll be proud of! If you’d like to find out more about dental braces or discuss your options, why not schedule a free consultation at Northenden House and see how we can help you? To book online, you can fill out our contact form here and we’ll get back to you, or you can call us on 0161 998 2622.
- Blue Horizons
