Mild Soreness

As you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness along with mild tenderness of the teeth when biting down. Your lips and cheeks may become slightly irritated for the first two weeks, but will subside as you get accustomed to the braces. General irritation can be somewhat relieved by warm salt water rinse along with Tylenol or Ibuprofen (Advil) (take according to label). You may also place wax over the braces in areas to help reduce the irritation. You should also avoid sleeping on your stomach due to placing pressure of the cheeks against the braces. This may cause irritation to the cheeks and lips.

Eating with Braces

Eating with braces will be very different for the first month. During the first week, you may find it difficult to chew tough foods, so avoid hard breads and tough meats. Try to stick to a softer diet such as soup and pasta for the first few days

Food to Avoid

• Sugary drinks: soda
• Popcorn
• Hard pizza crust
• Ribs and meats on bones: cut up meats, fruits and vegetables
• Beef jerky
• Nuts
• Jolly Ranches
• Caramel candy, skittles & all gums
• Ice
• Pens and pencils
• Any hard foods

Caring For Your Appliances

Brushing and Flossing

Braces and other appliances must be kept clean may require regular dental cleaning from your dentist. Adults who have a history of gum disease will require more frequent dental cleaning and should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment. It is extremely important to brush after every meal to keep your braces clean. Just as important is regular flossing using a floss-threader to floss underneath the wires. Keeping your braces and teeth clean will prevent the likelihood of tooth decay, decalcification of the teeth, puffy gums and/or gum disease.

Brushing:

• Brush 4 times a day: morning, noon, dinner, bedtime.
• Brush under, above, behind, and around all surfaces of the teeth and braces
• Brush inside and outside of both top and bottom gums.
• Rinse mouth thoroughly after brushing.

Flossing:

• Using floss-threader, insert floss behind archwire.
• Gently glean sides of teeth and under gums with an up-and-down motion.
• Floss between all teeth at least once a day.

Retainer Instructions

• You must wear your retainer full time until Dr. Dau tells you differently.
• Take your retainer out to eat, brush, and floss.
• Clean retainers daily by rinsing with cold water and clean with toothbrush and toothpaste.
• Always place retainers in plastic retainer case to avoid accidental disposal and breakage.
• Do not adjust retainers yourself - call our office
• Always bring your retainer with you to your appointment, even if they are broken.
• Retainers are expensive and time consuming to replace so please take good care of them.

Sports

When playing sports, especially basketball and football, a protective mouth guard should be worn to avoid injury to the soft tissues. Consult with us regarding mouth guards. In the event of an accident involving the face, check your mouth and braces immediately for and trauma or breakage. Contact us immediately for an appointment if this occurs.

Common Problems and Solutions:

• Loose bracket or band: if still attached to wire, leave in place or place wax them.
• Loose wire: try to place wire back in place with tweezers. If unable to fix, leave alone.
• Poking wire: try to push sticking wire down with an eraser or spoon. Place wax over the wire if discomfort.
• Lost elastic tie: leave alone and notify us at next appointment.
• Soreness: warm salt water rinse and/or Tylenol of Ibuprofen
• Loose appliance: if sticking or poking, place wax on it

Emergency

An emergency constitute any situation where there is severe pain, broken wire, poking wire that is causing pain, or loose bands or appliances. In an event of an emergency, please call us prior to coming so that we may properly prepare for your arrival. If any emergency arises outside of normal office hours, Dr. Dau may be called at home.