Welcome To The Wonderful World of Wires

Your goal and mine, is for everyone to have beautiful smiles. For that to happen in the least amount of time, you need to take good care of your appliance. Pay close attention to the information below. We want your orthodontic experience to go as smoothly as possible, with as few breakages and extra trips to the dentist as possible:

1. Avoid sticky or chewy foods (gum, licorice, gummy bears); they can pull your braces off.

2. Be careful of hard foods (like corn nuts) they can break your braces. Cut carrots, apples, and ends of pizza crust into small bite-size pieces.

3. Soda is very acidic and can dissolve the glue that holds your braces on. No soda! If you must drink soda, rinse your mouth with water afterwards.

4. Brush - Brush - Brush! After every meal. Food gets trapped in and around your braces. Besides looking yucky, it can cause yellow and white spots on your teeth that you won't see until your braces come off.

5. A water pik device is great to help remove food around your braces. Use it at night after brushing.

6. Don't forget fluoride rinses. Choose a flavor you like, and use it at night before you go to bed.

7. After you have a wire adjustment, one or more of your teeth may become sore 6-8 hours later. This soreness should subside over the next 2-3 days. It may be necessary to take some Tylenol during this time.

8. If you find that your appliance is making a sore spot on your cheek or lip, a small ball of wax placed over the bracket or wire will protect the area. It often takes several days to tissue the callous.

9. Broken and lost appliances can cause your successful treatment to be delayed or compromised.

Remember, we want the tooth straightening process to go as smoothly and quickly as possible. Don't be afraid to call us if you're having any problems, we will do our best to resolve the problem.