What to Expect The First Month with Braces

What to Expect The First Month with BracesReston, VA

Congratulations on the start of your journey with us to a new smile! Here is a summary of what to expect as you adjust to all the new appliances in your mouth:

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  1. Expect soreness and tenderness to your teeth to start about 4-6 hours after the appointment. This soreness will last about 7-14 days for most people, and up to 3 weeks for a select number of patients.
  2. We have Synpase Dental Pain Eraser which significantly reduces any tooth pain for up to 2 days, so please ask us if you are interested.
  3. Otherwise we recommend over the counter (OTC) pain meds such as Advil, Tylenol or Aleve taken about 1 hour before eating during the first 3-4 days as you adjust to the soreness. Softer foods will help you during this transition!
  4. When you get cleanings while in treatment, remember your teeth are moving and possibly sore, so they will feel sensitive and sore during the cleanings as well. However, it is still important to get cleanings at least every 6 months, even though we recommend a cleaning every 3 months while in braces.
  5. The initial first wires placed are very light and flexible wires to “awaken” your bone to this new force. As your teeth start to shift, the wire will become loose in the bracket slot and can slide a little easier. If you find the wire starts to poke you anywhere or the brackets are still scratching your cheeks after a week, then please text our office to come in to adjust the wire or add more wax to your brackets to help you with this transition. We try to get everyone in within 48 hours.
  6. As you adjust to eating different foods or adjust to doing activities that may potentially hit you in the mouth, there is a chance a few brackets may become loose. Remember, the glue on the brackets are meant to only last for the duration of treatment so that we can remove them when your teeth are straight. So if something hits the bracket at a certain angle, it will separate the bracket from the tooth. No worries! Text our office to let us know and we will determine how soon we need to bring you in to reglue the bracket.
  7. If you have bite cushions or bite ramps to separate your teeth to allow them to move without hitting into the brackets, then know the lisp will reduce after 2-3 weeks and the discomfort of not being able to eat the foods you were used to eating will go away after 2-3 weeks. We will remove the bite turbos once we know the teeth will not run into the brackets.
  8. We highly recommend a waterpik flosser and electric toothbrush to help minimize food getting stuck between your teeth. We also recommend using a mouthwash at least 2 times a day. Oral B Mouth sore rinses can help with reducing any cheek ulceration during the first month of braces.
  9. We also recommend purchasing a prescription Fluoride toothpaste and getting extra Fluoride varnish applications during treatment to reduce the chances of cavities.

Contact Us

Precision Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry is located at
12359 Sunrise Valley Dr Ste 210
Reston, VA
20191

(703) 391-8800

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