Caring for Your Braces

You are having a great evening with you friends and suddenly something doesn’t feel right with your braces. What do you do now? Believe it or not there are lots of things you can do to temporarily relieve any discomfort you may be having until you can get to the office.

Poking Wire – Use an eraser from a pencil to push the wire down so it isn’t poking into your cheek, gums or lips. Then cover it with wax so it won’t hurt you again until you can see Dr. Reagin.

Loose Bracket or Band – If the bracket or band is still attached do not pull it off. Put wax over it and call the office. If the bracket comes completely off wrap it in a tissue.

Loose Wire – Using a tweezer, try to put your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax doesn’t help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.

Loose or Damaged Appliance – If you appliance is bothering you, use wax to cover the part that is bothering you.

It is important that even if you have relieved the pain from a loose wire or bracket that you call and make an appointment as soon as possible. Delaying repair can interfere with the changes Dr. Reagin is making with your treatment. Orthodontic emergencies that require immediate attention are trauma to your mouth or face or loose teeth. Please do not hesitate to call the office if one of these things happens or if you feel you have an emergency.

You have your braces on and you are looking forward to your beautiful smile that is in the not so distant future! You are dreaming of straight teeth and a bright smile! Dr. Reagin and the staff at Reagin Orthodontics will do the work on your straightening your teeth and bite, but you play an integral role in the bright part of your smile.

Caring for your teeth and preventing tooth decay with braces does take a little bit of extra effort. It is not insurmountable though!  Here are Dr. Reagin’s recommendations for healthy teeth and gums:

1-  Brush morning and night and after every meal.

2- Use a cone shaped brush called a proxa brush to get to hard to reach areas that your toothbrush cannot reach. Some orthodontic toothbrushes have a regular head on one end and a proxa brush on the other.

2- Floss with special flossers made just for braces wearers. These will allow you to get around the wires and pick up anything that may have been missed.

3- Use a fluoride rinse

4 – Avoid overindulging in sweets.

5- Continue to visit your dentist for regular check-ups.

If you do these five things you should have a great smile that you will want to show off when you braces are removed!

Congrats! You have your braces and you are on your way to a great smile! At first your mouth may be a little sore and eating softer foods is advised. Once the tenderness is gone you can get back to eating most of your favorite foods. You just need to make a couple of adjustments.

If you love crunchy foods such as apples and carrots, it is best to cut them into smaller pieces and avoid biting into them with your front teeth. Using your front teeth on hard foods can cause a wire or bracket to break. Sweets can still be enjoyed occasionally, but don’t overindulge because sugar from sweets and sodas can get trapped under the brackets and cause tooth decay. Sticky and chewy foods such as caramel and taffy are best avoided altogether because they can be very difficult to remove from your braces. Those are the only changes you need to make in your diet! That doesn’t sound too hard does it?

Now what about brushing your teeth with braces? Brushing is very important and you will need to do this more often than you did before braces. Dr. Reagin recommends you brush after every meal and snack to avoid food particles and sugar from getting trapped in your braces and causing problems down the road. Carry a travel toothbrush with you in your book bag, gym bag or purse so you can brush your teeth at school or wherever you are after eating. If you cannot brush make sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water.

At least once a day, preferably at night, you need to floss with special flossers called a floss threader. These allow you to get between your teeth and around the brackets and wires to ensure that there are no food particles remaining that you missed with brushing.

Not brushing and flossing well can cause tooth decay, gum disease and even staining of the teeth under the braces. These things are easy to prevent with adding a couple of steps to your daily routine. It is well worth it in the long run!

No one denies that the first week you have your braces on that there is some discomfort. Most studies agree that pain peaks at 24 hours and resolves around day seven. Orthodontic pain comes from a restriction in blood supply, inflammation, and swelling in the compressed periodontal ligament. Histamine, bradykinin, prostaglandins, serotonin, and substance P are released and irritate the nerve endings of the pain receptors, thus causing pain. Bottom line for someone who has new braces, their mouth is sore!

For years most patients have relied on NSAids, such as ibuprofen, to relieve mouth pain in the first week after braces are placed. The American Journal of Orthodontics published a study in 2012 that provided additional options for pain relief. The potential side effects associated with NSAids in young patients have become a concern  so many orthodontists are looking for alternatives. Chewing gum and plastic wafers have been suggested as possible options.

There are various types of mouth pain associated with the placement of braces including chewing, biting bringing front teeth together and bringing back teeth together. The study results showed that both chewing gum and plastic wafers both were good alternatives to NSAids. Chewing gum was especially beneficial in reducing chewing pain.

So how do you use chewing gum to relieve chewing pain?  First, Dr. Reagin only recommends sugar-free gum. The study suggests chewing gum for 5 minutes immediately after braces placement and at 8-hour intervals for 1 week if pain is experienced.

Note: The published study was performed by Fahimeh Farzanegan, Seyed Mojtaba Zebarjad, Sanaz Alizadeh, and Farzaneh Ahraria Mashhad, Iran.