Fixed braces - practical advice

bigbloomers30

Hi,
Earlier this year I finally went to the dentist after 20 years of avoiding it. I needed a small filling and a crown fitted and decided to have fixed braces to correct my wonky teeth. Anyway I am due to have the braces fitted on Friday and so would really like any advice on the practical side of wearing braces - such as cleaning, foods to avoid etc.
I know the dentist will give me advice but to be honest I am so nervous my mind goes blank the moment I set foot inside the door.
Thanks
Tara

ampersand_

Congratulations on starting your braces treatment!! I just had mine removed last week after four years and double jaw surgery. You'll have such an amazing smile when it's done

With cleaning, the little Tepe interdental brushes are really good for getting between the wires and your teeth - you'll be surprised just how much food manages to get trapped in there!! My orthodontist told me to use the yellow or green ones, although I preferred the green ones as they're slightly bigger so were a better fit. Also I found switching to an electric toothbrush helped to make difference - the only problem is the heads wear out faster than normal, but I guess it would be the same for a normal toothbrush too.

For the first few days your teeth will probably be quite sore so you'll probably want to stock up on some soft foods that don't require much chewing. Things like apples and corn on the cob you'll have to cut into little pieces as biting into them might break the brackets on your teeth. Also I tried to avoid tea and coffee as much as possible because I found they tended to give me brown stains if I drank them regularly.

You might find that the brackets or wires rub against the inside of your lips and cheeks, but you can get wax to stick over them to make it all a bit smoother, and it does help a lot until the skin inside your mouth toughens up and gets used to it Orthodontists will usually give you a little pack of it when your braces go on, but if they don't then Boots sell their own version! (Actually I found the Boots one stayed stuck on better than the freebie stuff from the ortho)

If they give you the option of coloured ligatures (the little rubber bits that hold the wires onto the brackets), go with colours over clear!! You may as well have some fun with it Also the clear ones tend to stain really easily, so if you eat a curry you're stuck with yellow braces until your next appointment to get them changed... My favourites were purple or baby blue. The silver ones don't change colour from food so easily, but they're not quite as fun...

Sorry this post is quite long, I hope some of it was helpful though!! Let me know if you have any more questions, I love talking about braces :rotfl: Good luck for Friday!!

bigbloomers30

Hi ampersand_
Thanks for the great advice.
It must feel great to finally have your braces removed after four years.
I am actually really excited to be finally doing something about my teeth. I have always hated my smile and it has affected my confidence so much.


Thanks again,
Tara

GwylimT

I didn't avoid any food or drink when I had braces.

I had the 'invisible' brackets on the front so with clear bands you didn't notice them too much, my non-visible brackets were the standard metal type.

I found to clean using my brush to clean on tooth at a time worked best, I would hold it over each tooth outer surface for around ten seconds, the other surfaces could be cleaned as normal, so my routibe didn't really change.

pirateyqueen

I've had my braces on for about a month now so can offer some advice too. Ampersand_ has provide some very helpful advice as well.

I've put together a little pack that I keep in my handbag at all times. It has a toothbrush and toothpaste, those little interdental brushes, some wax and a mirror. I find I need to give my teeth a quick brush after eating anything so I can dislodge any food.

As for the pain, it really was nowhere near as bad as I had been expected. I was told I could take painkillers for the ache, but it was never that bad. I used the wax for a while but you get used to it.

With food, it's just common sense really. Hard things and things you really have to bite into should be avoided (or just cut up) so as you don't break any brackets.

I think the most important thing is dental hygiene, as it can be a bit trickier to look after teeth if you have braces on. I bought special orthodontic heads for my toothbrush, and I have just ordered a floss threader so I can still floss my teeth.

Good luck! I'm sure you won't regret it!