Instructions For Your Braces
What are the parts?
- The rings on your back teeth are called Bands and they circle your entire tooth. The bands are much stronger than those braces on your front teeth, which enables you to chew with less breakage.
- The Brackets (braces) on your front teeth are only bonded (glued) onto your teeth. This means you shouldn’t bite into anything hard or sticky with your front teeth, because the brackets may break off.
The Wire is the metal thread connecting the braces together. This is what moves your teeth.
How to care for your teeth and braces
- Carefully brush the gum line, teeth and braces after each meal. Use a soft toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes can be used on teeth with braces, but are not necessarily more effective. Make sure to take a toothbrush with you at all times (Work & School)
- Floss between all teeth once per day. It takes a bit more time, but it is worth the effort. We want straight healthy teeth. We want to avoid decay that may occur between your teeth if you don’t floss.
- Rinse with a fluoride mouth rinse once per day to keep tooth enamel hard and to protect all tooth surfaces. (eg. Oral-B, Cepacol, or Listermint)
*Water Pik-type appliances work well to remove food debris but are not a replacement for brushing and flossing.
During orthodontic treatment, it is important that you continue regular visits to your dentist. We cannot stress enough how important it is to maintain good oral hygiene during your treatment.
The consequences of inadequate brushing and flossing can include:
- damage to your gums and bones supporting the teeth
- permanent white marks left on the teeth (decalcification) which is weakened enamel
- dental caries (cavities)
This is easily avoided with regular, effective brushing. Your principle concern is to remove plaque (bacteria) and all food particles around the teeth, braces, and especially the gum line.
What to expect
The first few days are the most difficult because your teeth will be sore as they are not accustomed to the braces. Take Tylenol as necessary (make sure to follow the dosing instructions on the bottle for your age and weight). You may develop some sores or scratches in your mouth where the braces may be rubbing. Please use the wax to cover any sharp edges of your braces that irritate your lips or cheeks. Only small amounts are necessary and should be removed before brushing. After the first little while, your mouth becomes familiarized with the braces and you will feel much better.
What to do if something becomes loose or broken?
Please call our office as soon as possible, to inform us of the problem so that we are able to book time to make the necessary repairs (a broken bracket adds up to 20 minutes to an appointment), even if you have an appointment scheduled in the next few days.
Depending on what has come loose or broken, we may need to see you right away, or we may be able to wait a few days or even until your next appointment without any delays in your treatment; However, we need to make this judgement. It is an orthodontic fact that patients who break their appliances more often require longer time to complete their treatment.
Please refer to the Canadian Association of Orthodontists website for any additional questions on emergencies.
