Consultant Specialist Orthodontist with over 25 years' experience
If you’ve just been fitted with braces, congratulations! In 18 months to two years, you’ll be sporting the smile of your dreams.
However, until that time comes, you’ll need to know how to look after your braces, which can be challenging and frustrating.
Our clinic, Orthodontist London, is here to ensure that your brace’s experience is as seamless as possible while providing invaluable advice on orthodontic care.
What can I expect just after getting braces?
Our Mary Lo Orthodontist Marylebone will give you a breakdown of your first few weeks wearing a straightening appliance. Here’s what you can expect:
It’s important to note that all this is temporary and that Paracetamol can eliminate most of your discomfort. You'll also find that applying wax to your braces prevents mouth cuts and sores from occurring.
You may need to adjust your diet to braces-friendly food, which means sacrificing some of the sweet treats and snacks you love and anything hard that could potentially snap your wires.
Once your braces are off, you can continue to enjoy them, but it’s best to play it safe to avoid an orthodontic emergency.
Your diet should ideally be healthy, comprising soft foods like vegetables, meat, pasta and rice. By making these changes, you’re not just preventing an avoidable accident but also optimising your general oral health.
With braces in your mouth, there are a thousand different places for bacteria to hide, making brushing your teeth even more essential.
Brushing your teeth requires proper technique and brushing individual teeth is important. Position the brush at a 45-degree angle to clean around the wires and brackets, using circular movements as you move from one pearly white to the next.
When you brush your teeth is as important as how. You must clean your teeth every time you eat, even if it’s a small snack to avoid plaque accumulating.
Flossing should become a mandatory part of your teeth-cleaning regime because germs hide in areas of your mouth where your toothbrush can’t reach.
Orthodontic emergencies can be avoided by avoiding chewy foods that Mary Lo Orthodontist Marylebone would have warned you about. At the same time, mouth guards are recommended to those involved in contact sports.
Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and you’ll need to learn how to handle these scenarios. Before you try anything else, phone our Mary Lo Orthodontist Marylebone and never try to alter the braces yourself as you’ll be causing further damage.
At home, you should have things like cotton swabs, braces wax, pencils and tweezers stored in a safe and easy-to-find place.
