Life with Braces

At Smiles Hollywood Orthodontics, YOU are the star of the show! While you will not need to learn lines or memorize choreography, you will need to do a few special things to take care of your braces during your Top McKinney Orthodontics treatment. Of course, if you ever have any questions about anything, we are always here to help you out and to answer any of your questions. We are on your team and want to help you every step of the way!

ACT I: Setting the Stage

During your appointment, one of our treatment coordinators will review everything you need to do to achieve a Gorgeous Hollywood Smile! Just follow the directions we give you, and you’ll be on your way to smile stardom!

During braces treatment you will need to be diligent with brushing and flossing. Foods can get stuck in brackets and wires, and that doesn’t look good on camera! It is also very important to follow our brushing and flossing guidelines for the best results for a beautiful healthy smile! It is recommended that you use a water flosser, if possible, to help you get into hard to reach areas of your teeth. Also, be sure to use the fluoride rinse every night that we give you at your consultation the day you start your braces. At night time, brush first then swish around a capful of fluoride rinse right before you go to bed and spit it out. Do NOT swallow the fluoride, but always spit it out. The fluoride is to sit on your teeth overnight, as an added protection for your teeth, to prevent decay. Try to not eat or drink anything, (including water) until the next morning. The next morning, you should brush your teeth as normal. If you follow these instructions above, you will be very successful and well on your journey to those perfectly straight healthy teeth and a beautiful Hollywood Smile!

Eating with braces can be a bit challenging at first. There are several things you’ll need to cut up into bite-sized pieces, like apples and carrots. You should never bite into anything that is hard, as this could easily pop off one of your brackets. Also try to avoid foods that are chewy, gooey, hard, and crunchy. Foods such as tootsie rolls, caramels, starbursts, and any other foods that are similar to these, should be avoided, as they get stuck in your wires and brackets and can easily break them. Please also avoid chewing on ice, or pens and pencils. Ice is extremely hard on your teeth and you should really never chew on ice, whether you have braces or not. It’s very important to use common sense on which foods are okay to eat and which are not with your braces.

This may sound like a list of lots of things you cannot eat, but there are so many foods that you still can eat and it’s just a few short years that you will be in braces and all will be well worth it in the end! When your braces come off, feel free to indulge in all the foods you could not have when your braces were on!

ACT II: Emergency!

If you ever experience an emergency, such as a broken bracket, out of place wire, pokey wire or broken appliance, please do not hesitate to call our office. We have a 24-hour emergency line to answer questions and help guide you through whatever discomfort you are feeling. If an office visit is necessary, we will see you as soon as possible. Please do not walk around with a broken appliance or loose bracket for too long, because while your braces are broken they are not effective in moving your teeth until they have been repaired. This can increase your treatment time and keep you in braces longer.

For general discomfort, we recommend taking an over-the-counter pain relief medication like advil, tylenol or motrin. Soreness after an adjustment is completely normal and should go away within a day or two. On your first visit you should receive a special Top McKinney Orthodontics kit that contains wax that can be used on a pokey wire or bracket until you are able to come into our office to have it repaired.

ACT III: Playing Sports with Braces

Wearing a mouthguard during sports activities is essential while you have braces. It will protect your teeth from being injured while you’re playing your sport. If you are in braces, Smiles Hollywood Top McKinney Orthodontics can provide you a simple mouth guard at no charge to help protect your teeth during sports. Please do not buy the boil and bite sports guards from the store, as these can break off your braces!

In case of a sports injury, be sure to immediately check your mouth and braces for any damage. If you notice any loose teeth or loose brackets, please contact Smiles Hollywood Top McKinney Orthodontics right away, so we can get you in to have your appliances repaired and to check your teeth. You can temporarily relieve any discomfort by applying wax and rinsing your mouth with warm salt water until we are able to see you.

ACT IV: Playing Instruments with Braces

At Smiles Hollywood Orthodontics, we have many Top McKinney Orthodontics patients with braces who are musicians and participate in band or orchestra. It is true that when you get your braces on, your embouchure will change slightly. This is something that is easily overcome in a few weeks simply by practicing one’s instrument. Don’t worry, even the most serious musicians can easily get through braces. During your first visit, ask us about more tips to make your braces treatment smoother. We are often asked if a band or orchestra student should have their braces removed before a big competition, etc. Most band and orchestra instructors would prefer that you do NOT get your braces off right before a big competition or performance. This is because you will have been used to playing your instrument with the braces on and your embouchure will change again once the braces are removed. It will take a couple weeks of practicing your instrument for your embouchure to get back to normal again. So, it’s best to leave the Top McKinney Orthodontics braces on for the various competitions and contests until you have a couple weeks to allow your embouchure to re-adjust. We have many band and orchestra students who perform very well with their braces on so this should not be a worry for you!

Click here to schedule your FREE Smiles Hollywood Orthodontics evaluation or call (972) 529-9700 to speak with someone on our dynamic team! We look forward to having you as one of our Star patients!

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