The dental braces of today are very effective at making your teeth straight and the size has gotten a lot smaller, they are made more comfortable today and normally quicker than how they used to do it.
Know about dental braces
If you are thinking of getting braces, you may be thinking whether they are going to hurt and what you must expect once you have them on. If your dentist already told you what you need to know, there is no reason for you to get confused or nervous when you already have the braces on your teeth. Even if you need to give extra effort and time, everything will be worth it.
Expect these things from dental treatment
Adjustments
Regardless of the kind of braces you have, they are going to need adjustment. Even if you chose a different aligner now, you are going to have them changed to a clearer one after every few weeks, and this depends on what the dentist recommends. Braces are there to slowly move your teeth to straighter angles, and there will be pressure. There are people who have more discomfort compared to others, but the good thing is that the pressure has less severity through time and could last 2 to 4 days.
Your smile will be different
Depending on the kind of braces you have, you will have a slight change in appearance after getting braces. The traditional metal one is a silvery metal jacket that the dentist will put on your teeth and then there will be a metal archwire attached to the brackets. There are those who have clamped brackets onto its archwire, while are going to have rubber bands connecting the wire and the brackets. There are rubber bands for those with an overbite and other types could be attached based on what is needed.
Sores
If you need metal braces, there is a possibility that you will experience mouth sores, especially in the beginning. You need to be patient because your gums and mouth are not accustomed to the teeth brackets you have on so allow this time for you to adjust. In case of a sore, there is orthodontic wax to cover that section of the braces that caused the sore and your mouth will get protection. After your mouth is used to them, the sores should be gone after a while. Orthodontic wax can be helpful in alleviating any sore discomfort, so this is what you need to use to get you through this.
5 days
After almost 1 week since getting your braces, you should only feel a small amount of discomfort if there is any. By now, you should be able to speak like normal and eating will be like before. Even if you still find it hard to eat hard foods, your normal diet should be back by this time already. However, it is still not advisable to eat ice, nuts, chips, hard and sticky candy, popcorn, bagels, apples, and the like.
Teeth cleaning with braces
It may be more complicated to clean your teeth once you have braces, but it is important. If you are not practicing proper oral hygiene, there can be a build up of plaque and it will harden around the brackets. After the dentist removes the braces, you will have stains where the brackets used to be if you do not do regular teeth cleaning. Poor oral hygiene can also cause cavities that causes problems. In order to avoid these problems, make sure to clean your teeth well. Brushing should be done after every meal to get rid of food that might have gotten stuck.
Use a fluoride toothpaste and brush your teeth for 2 to 3 minutes, twice daily. Remember that braces easily wear out the bristles of toothbrush so make sure to change it more often than waiting for 3 months. Flossing is very important while you have braces on, but it is harder. Instead of using the traditional floss, get a flossing threader made specifically for patients wearing braces.
Having braces on requires more oral care than before, but after you are done with them, you are surely going to thank your dentist falls church va.