What To Expect After Having Braces Placed On Your Teeth

If you are about to have metal braces placed on your teeth, you will soon be enjoying the benefit of having a straightened smile that will cosmetically improve your look. The beginning days after having your braces placed may be a bit scary and uncomfortable as you try to get used to your new braces. Here are a few of the discomforts you should expect and how to care for them.

Soreness In The Mouth

After your braces are placed and tightened by your orthodontist, be prepared to feel general sore areas in your gum area. You may feel soreness when you try to bite down or move your mouth around. If this occurs, try sipping on some very cold water or sucking on an ice cube to help relieve any inflammation your gums are experiencing from the placement of the braces.

The lips, the interior of the cheeks and tongue may also feel some soreness from pushing and scraping against the surface of the metal of your braces. In time these body parts will toughen and will no longer be prone to pain. Until then, rinse your mouth with a glass of salt water to help relieve pain. Place a teaspoon of salt in a standard sized glass and mix thoroughly before gargling and rinsing.

Trouble Eating

At first, eating may be a bit painful. It may be a good idea to eat a large meal before you have the wires installed in your braces, as the first tightening will cause you some soreness afterward. Through the duration of your brace-wearing, you will need to avoid chewy and hard foods as they can damage the metal your braces are made from.

While you are getting used to your braces, eat soft foods so that you become accustomed to the feeling of the braces in your mouth as you try to chew. Stick with liquids like soups and beverages right after your braces are placed. After you master these, move on to puddings, mashed potatoes, or pasta. After a day or so you should be ready to eat your regular diet, minus the crunchy and chewy foods.

Poking And Prodding

While you are getting used to your braces, you may find some of the wires stick out where they feel like they are poking you. Your orthodontist will provide a special wax for you to use for these occasions. It is very pliable and can be inserted in the mouth over the pieces that feel like they are scraping.

The brackets are usually the culprits people find most irritating as they are getting used to their braces. In time, however, these pieces will stop hurting the inside of your mouth as it gets used to the braces. Keep using the wax until then and tell your orthodontist if the pain does not subside after a week or two.