Things to note on the first day of wearing braces

When our teeth grow very irregularly and affect our daily chewing, we need to change this situation by wearing braces. Many people are very uncomfortable when they first start wearing braces, and some even have problems with their teeth because they don't develop good habits. In fact, when we wear braces on the first day, we need to pay attention to many issues.

1. After the doctor has installed the braces and checked them, please be sure to check the position of the braces yourself. The method is as follows: First, press the position of the braces around your mouth with your hands to feel whether it pricks your mouth; second, tighten your mouth and feel the presence of the braces through the inner wall of your mouth; third, with your mouth closed, tighten your cheeks to feel whether the archwire at the molar position pricks your mouth. Check through the above methods. If you find any puncture in your mouth, inform your doctor as soon as possible. (Note: Licking the tip of the archwire at the molar with your tongue does not mean it will pierce your mouth.)

2. When you first put on braces, your teeth will feel swelling, pain, soreness and weakness because they are experiencing continuous external force for the first time. Generally speaking, this feeling will last for 3-7 days (the duration varies from person to person). As long as the discomfort is not particularly difficult to accept, please persist. If the pain is very severe and accompanied by redness and swelling of the gums (except for inflammation), it is recommended to contact a dentist as soon as possible for examination and adjustment. (Note: Since the teeth will move due to force, it is recommended not to shake the teeth with your hands.)

3. As the braces are of a certain thickness, they will cause the lips to partially turn outward and become dry and peeling. Apply vitamin E or lip balm in time and drink more boiled water. If you don’t like plain water, you can add some salt to keep your lips hydrated. Ensuring sleep time and quality is also very important. Eating more vegetables and honey in daily life is also particularly effective.

4. During the initial adaptation period of wearing braces, it is best to eat some semi-liquid or easy-to-swallow food. Such as porridge, egg custard, oatmeal, noodles, etc. The main thing about food choices is that they don’t require strenuous chewing, thus alleviating tooth discomfort. After the discomfort gradually disappears, be sure to resume your normal diet to avoid affecting the exercise of the masseter muscles due to too little chewing, which may lead to obvious braces face phenomenon.

5. After resuming your normal diet, please do not eat foods that are too tough or sticky (such as toffee candy, glutinous rice balls, etc.) to avoid inadequate cleaning; do not eat foods that are too hard (such as spare ribs, almonds, etc.) to avoid causing the orthodontic device to fall off, affecting the treatment effect and prolonging the treatment time. At the same time, be careful not to eat spicy and irritating foods for a long time, so as not to cause oral inflammation and swollen and painful gums, and also cause braces to damage the oral mucosa.

6. After wearing braces , it is not so easy to brush your teeth cleanly. Due to the obstruction of the archwire bracket, brushing teeth becomes more difficult and food residues are more likely to remain. Therefore, you should clean your mouth immediately after eating. First, clean your teeth using the "45° tilted" brushing method. You can choose an orthodontic toothbrush or a soft-bristled toothbrush to reduce irritation to the gums. You can then choose an interdental brush/interdental brush to clean areas that a large toothbrush cannot reach. You can choose orthodontic dental floss, mouthwash, water flosser and other cleaning tools according to the situation.

7. Strictly follow the doctor's instructions and go back to the dentist for follow-up visits regularly. Let the doctor make specific adjustments based on your correction progress and recovery status and give corresponding suggestions. If you are unable to make a follow-up appointment on time due to special reasons, you must make a new appointment in advance. If a brace falls off, contact your doctor as soon as possible to determine whether you need to see your doctor earlier, and bring the fallen device back to your doctor during the follow-up visit.