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First Days In Braces

Brushing Instructions

The adhesive used to attach the braces to your teeth cures rapidly, but takes several hours to completely cure. You can eat any time after leaving our office, however, we ask that you remember the list of foods that may be harmful to your braces.

When you first get your braces, you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal. To relieve the pain, we recommend dissolving one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water. Swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for just a couple of minutes (do not swallow the saltwater).

If the pain is more severe and does not go away after rinsing, you can also try taking a pain reliever (e.g. Tylenol). It is also not uncommon for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces. We will be happy to give you some wax that you can put over the braces to lessen the tenderness. If you need some wax, please let us know.

Before Leaving the Office
There are routine steps that we ask you to take prior to leaving the office. These steps will minimize discomfort related to irritation from the braces and ensure an optimal response to treatment. Please make these steps a part of each office visit:
  • Using your finger and tongue, check to see that the wire ends do not extend into areas which might poke or abrade the cheek or tongue.
  • Make sure you understand what you are to do until your next appointment. This could include wearing elastics as instructed, adjusting an expander or following specific hygiene and diet instructions.
  • Make sure you have an adequate supply of dental wax, special cleaning aids, elastic bands, or other related materials you may need between appointments.
  • Always schedule your next appointment before leaving the office. Waiting 1-2 weeks after an appointment before scheduling your next office visit complicates the scheduling process, since appointments are programmed 4-6 weeks in advance. Postponing appointments is a common contributor to overtime treatment.

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