What to Expect: Braces

One Week with Braces

After getting your braces on you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel tender and sore. Your lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for the first couple of weeks as they start to toughen up and become accustomed to the braces. It is perfectly normal and we promise your mouth will not be sore forever!

To relieve the pain, we recommend dissolving a teaspoon of salt in a cup of lukewarm water. Swish and gargle the salty mouthwash you have created, to soothe your tender mouth. We also recommend taking Panadol and nurofen if needed. There are also other methods which can work for you such as:

Magic Wax

Orthodontic wax acts as a barrier between your braces, lips, cheek or tongue. It creates a smooth surface over the offending bracket to stop it from irritating your cheek. It is non-toxic and made of bees wax which makes it perfectly safe to ingest. It is the secret weapon to preventing ulcers. To use the wax, you need to dry the surface of the bracket with a tissue and take an appropriate amount of wax from the container. Prepare the wax by rolling it between your fingers and forming a ball. Then apply the wax on the offending bracket. Make sure you have spread the wax all over the bracket to ensure there is no more discomfort.

Adjustment Appointments

Adjustment appointments are required every 5-7 weeks, where your orthodontist will change or adjust your wires and change modules. Adjusting or changing wires straighten your teeth and keep them moving in the right direction. After adjustments it is completely normal to feel movement in your teeth. This feeling will subside after a few days and everything will feel back to normal again!

Breaking a bracket or dislodging a wire

It takes some time to get used to having braces and you also have to avoid certain foods to be able to look after your braces too. The most common way that people damage their braces is by eating hard, crunchy or sticky foods. These are the culprits that usually break brackets. With braces we also recommend that you avoid biting into foods with your front teeth as they are the most vulnerable and can easily be broken or dislodged. If you suspect that a bracket has come off or your wire has been dislodged please let us know straight away and book an appointment. It is important to get your bracket or wire repaired immediately as your teeth may shift and this can cause an increase in your treatment time. If you are unable to see your orthodontist straight away, you can do short-term fixes until you are able to see your orthodontist.

You can use:

Sugarless gum: if your wire is exposed use the gum to protect the area for a short period of time
Magic wax: if the wires or bracket cause irritation in your mouth
Nail clippers or cuticle scissors: if the wire has dislodged (only use this method as a last resort as this can cause further issues with your braces)

Additional Resources:

Orthodontic Wax – Orthodontics Australia: What is orthodontic wax and does my child need it?

What to do if your braces are broken – Orthodontics Australia