Getting orthodontic braces begins a long-term commitment that involves significant changes to daily routines and habits. Successfully navigating treatment requires adopting new practices, especially regarding oral hygiene, diet, and managing temporary discomfort. This guide offers practical knowledge for the adjustment period and the ongoing care necessary to protect the appliance and the teeth.
Immediate Physical Adjustment
The first three to seven days after braces placement typically involve a significant adjustment period for the mouth’s soft and hard tissues. Teeth and the jaw will feel a persistent pressure or soreness as the archwire begins to exert the continuous force necessary to initiate tooth movement. This tenderness is particularly noticeable when biting down. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen, can help manage this discomfort, often taken an hour before an appointment to preemptively address soreness.
The brackets and wires are new surfaces that will inevitably rub against the cheeks, lips, and tongue. This friction often leads to temporary irritation or the formation of small sores. Orthodontic wax provides a simple, immediate solution; a small piece can be pressed directly over the irritating bracket or wire, creating a protective barrier. The altered space inside the mouth can also cause a temporary change in speech patterns, such as a slight lisp, but speech usually returns to normal within a few weeks as the mouth adjusts.
Dietary Modifications
Protecting the integrity of the braces hardware requires making specific, long-term changes to eating habits, as broken brackets or bent wires can prolong treatment. The primary rule is to avoid foods that are excessively hard, sticky, or crunchy, which are the main culprits for damaging the appliance. This includes items like popcorn, hard candies, nuts, ice, chewing gum, and sticky caramel or taffy.
During the first few days, when teeth are most sensitive, the diet should transition to soft, non-chewy foods like soups, mashed potatoes, yogurt, and scrambled eggs. For foods that require more chewing, such as raw vegetables or certain meats, cut them into small, bite-sized pieces. This technique minimizes the strain on the front teeth and the brackets, encouraging chewing with the back teeth.
Maintaining Oral Health
The presence of brackets and wires significantly increases the complexity of daily oral hygiene, making it necessary to brush after every meal to prevent plaque buildup. Food particles easily become trapped in the hardware, which can rapidly lead to the demineralization of tooth enamel, known as decalcification. Decalcification manifests as permanent white spots on the teeth once the braces are removed.
Proper brushing technique involves using a soft-bristled toothbrush angled at 45 degrees to clean both above and below the brackets and along the gumline. Specialized tools are required for cleaning between the teeth and under the archwire, as traditional flossing is not possible.
Specialized Cleaning Tools
- Floss threaders or Superfloss are used to guide dental floss under the wire between each tooth.
- Interdental brushes (proxabrushes) are helpful for scrubbing around the brackets themselves.
- Water flossers are an effective supplementary tool, using a pressurized stream of water to flush out debris from hard-to-reach areas, though they do not replace the need for physical flossing.
Routine Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Orthodontic treatment involves scheduled adjustment appointments, typically occurring every four to eight weeks, where the orthodontist monitors progress and modifies the forces applied to the teeth. During these visits, the archwire may be replaced or changed in shape, and elastics are often replaced to continue guiding tooth movement. It is normal to experience temporary soreness for a few days following an adjustment, which is a sign that the treatment is actively progressing.
Minor issues can arise between appointments, such as a wire shifting and poking the cheek or a bracket becoming loose. A poking wire can often be tucked back into place with a clean cotton swab or covered with orthodontic wax for temporary relief. If a bracket is loose but still attached to the wire, cover it with wax to prevent irritation, and contact the orthodontist promptly to schedule a repair. Delaying the repair of a loose bracket can disrupt the intended force and potentially extend the overall treatment time.