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When you get braces, your first week with them can be challenging. You’re not used to having metal brackets and wires in your mouth at this point! The new sensations might feel odd or even cause some soreness. As such, you’ll probably want to find ways to handle those initial seven days. Thankfully, your Medford dentist can help you do exactly that. Here are three tips to make surviving your first week with braces all the easier.
Leave the Dentist’s Office Prepared
First of all, don’t leave the dentist’s office until you’ve talked to them about the following:
- Your Braces’ Wire Ends: Have your specialist ensure your braces’ wires aren’t poking your cheeks or running into your tongue. You can check for yourself by using your finger and tongue.
- Braces’ Supplies: Ask your local practice for dental wax, cleaning aids, elastic bands, and other materials. In most cases, you’ll need at least some of these before your next orthodontist appointment.
- Your Next Steps: Lastly, ask plenty of questions so that you know what to do before your next meeting. Such instructions could include wearing headgear, using elastics, and more.
Eat Food Carefully
You’re better off sticking to softer foods for the first few days after getting braces. Harder fare would likely add unnecessary pain to your adjustment process. Therefore, focus your diet on items like pasta, seedless bread, soft veggies, soup, etc.
After 3-4 days, your soreness will start fading, and you can graduate to more solid foods. However, it would help if you avoided sugared gum. It turns out that the latter can cause damage to your teeth and braces.
Use Wax & Saltwater for Irritation
While brackets are supposed to be gentle on your mouth, they can sometimes rub the skin in your mouth and irritate it. This scenario won’t be a problem as the area toughens over time, but tools can help you manage until then. One good idea is to use dental wax to ease any discomfort.
If you have significant soreness, you could try rinsing your mouth with warm salt water 5-6 times a day for 30 seconds each time. All it takes is adding half a teaspoon of table salt to one cup of warm water! From there, the salt water will help relieve pain and allow sores to heal faster.
Your first week with braces shouldn’t be that hard with tips like those above. Otherwise, feel free to talk to your local dentist about other orthodontic concerns!
About the Author
Dr. Gary Rosenfeld is a dentist based in Medford, NY, having earned his dental doctorate from the Columbia University Dental School. As a professional with over thirty years of experience, he also holds membership in the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, and similar groups. His specialties are preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, as well as orthodontic treatments. Dr. Rosenfeld currently practices at Island Daily Dental Care and can be reached at his website or by phone at (631)-286-9000.