Orthodontic Instructions
Dr. James Noble
Congratulations on receiving your braces!!!
I am excited to work with you as a team in this incredible life-altering journey!!!
My Mission is to provide you with a beautiful smile, along with an excellent aesthetic and functional treatment result in a caring, fun and friendly environment.
Before we begin, there are several important instructions that you need to know, please take the time to read these instructions and do not hesitate to ask any questions.
SORENESS OF TEETH
After you have the braces placed, there may be some soreness in your teeth and they may feel slightly loose. This is normal and there is no need to be concerned, this is simply your body telling you that your teeth have started to move. You can use simple pain medication such as over the counter Children’s Tylenol or Children’s Advil to help the soreness go away. The inside of your cheeks may irritate you as well for awhile as your muscles, tissues and mind get used to having the braces on your teeth. This can take up to 4-6 weeks and orthodontic wax can be used to relieve this discomfort.
EATING WITH BRACES
Being very careful, you can eat most foods without damaging the braces, however I strongly encourage you to MINIMIZE your sugar intake and follow the oral hygiene instructions I will provide diligently to prevent white spots from forming on your teeth.
I STRONGLY recommend that you AVOID the following foods and foods similar to them:
Sticky-chewy candy Popcorn
Toffee, jelly beans, licorice etc. Nuts
Hard Candy, mints, lifesavers Ice-cubes
Peanut Brittle Pretzels
Sugar-containing gum Bread Sticks
Chocolate with nuts or coffee Pizza Crust
Corn on the cob Grapes with seeds
Nacho chips Sugar containing carbonated beverages (ex. Coke, Pepsi) and sweetened juice
In Be Careful with the following foods:
Foods with bones: cut the meat off the bone
Food with pits – remove the pits ex. Olives, cherries, peaches, nectarines etc.
Hard Foods – cut in small or thin pieces (apples, pears, carrots, celery, crusty breads)
Without proper care, you may do damage to the wires and brackets on the teeth and cause loosening of the cement under the brackets or bands. If the brackets become loose or broken, please let us know as soon as possible.
ORAL HYGIENE
The brackets and wires provide a greater surface area for food (particularly sugar) and bacteria to grab on to and this increases your risk of developing a cavity. Cavities begin to form as very unsightly white spots around your braces which are permanent and require costly restorations to restore once the braces are removed. Meticulous, routine oral hygiene during your orthodontic treatment is therefore extremely important to avoid this and ensure you have healthy teeth and gums. If you develop these habits now, they will then stay with you for the rest of your life.
If you perform the following instructions, your teeth, gums, dentist and orthodontist will thank you!:
It is important to brush your teeth a minimum of three times per day. The two most important times to brush your teeth is at night before you go to sleep and in the morning after breakfast. Spend at least three minutes each time you brush. Also, brush your teeth after every meal to remove the food and plaque that has accumulated. If you are unable to brush your teeth, please drink and rinse your mouth with copious amounts of water. If you drink any sugar-containing beverage, try not to sip on it for an extended period of time, and to brush your teeth immediately after and if brushing is not possible, to drink and rinse your mouth with water. You can also chew non-sticky sugarless gum. It is not uncommon for orthodontic patients to brush their teeth up to ten times per day. An electric toothbrush is recommended.
Even more important than brushing is flossing your teeth. It is very important for you to floss your teeth at least one time each day, preferably before you go to sleep. Please floss before you brush. To do this, thread the floss or floss threader underneath the wire, then under your gums beside each tooth 3-4 times. Initially, this will take a considerable amount of time, however after a few weeks, you will become much faster. After you floss, rinse your mouth and then thoroughly brush your teeth. Feel free to use supplemental dental aids such as a proxybrush or other interdental brush.
The only rinse that I recommend is the Oral B 0.05% Fluoride rinse. Please do not use Listerine or other mouthwashes that contain alcohol because they have the potential to dry your mouth.
COOPERATION
The success of your orthodontic treatment depends a lot on your cooperation. This means that you may have to wear elastics as instructed or other appliances. It is important to follow instructions exactly and record the exact times that you wear these appliances. If there are any problems, please do not hesitate to call! We are here to make your orthodontic experience as pleasant as possible!