Although rare, you may find yourself alarmed due to any of the following situations:
SORENESS CAUSED BY BRACES AND APPLIANCES
So; this encompasses several situations. First of all, we want you to know that all patients should expect some level of discomfort when they start their treatment with braces or any other orthodontic appliance.
The movements and force required to complete your treatment will make your mouth feel a little tender. We promise you this feeling will go away after just a couple of days following each adjustment.
Relieving yourself from the pain is simple. Aside from over-the-counter painkillers, you can use saltwater rinses. Simply dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a glass with eight ounces of lukewarm water. Then, it’s just a matter of swishing and gargling with this solution. Please keep in mind to NOT swallow the water.
You might notice a sensation of irritation as well on the inside of your cheeks, lips, or tongue. The saltwater rinses will also help with this. And you can ask your orthodontist to give you some orthodontic wax to cover your brackets and avoid worsening the irritation.
LOOSE TEETH
Aside from the soreness and pain, you’ll feel that your teeth feel loose. This is normal, as your teeth have to loosen up a bit before the braces can safely move them into the right position. Once the teeth reach their intended position with the proper alignment, you won’t feel your teeth being loose.
LOOSE WIRES AND BANDS OR LOOSE BRACKETS
Sometimes, some patients will eat something that doesn’t fully damage their appliance but may create some problems. The wires and bands on your braces may come loose, and if that happens, you should contact us at your earliest convenience to check and repair the orthodontic appliance. Try to save any pieces that come off so we may take a look at them.
Any loose wires poking the inside of your cheeks don’t have to remain so. A temporary and DIY fix is simple when you use the back of a spoon or any other blunt object, such as an eraser at the back of a pencil, to carefully push and tuck the wire back into place. Likewise, you can put some orthodontic wax over the wire to keep it from poking at you. It’s important these wires and bands remain in their correct positions to make your treatment as efficient as possible.
It’s also possible your brackets come off due to leftover food pieces in your mouth or a wrong choice of food. You can slide those brackets into the right place until you can come to the office for a more definitive solution.