| Lip Retractors used to place braces. |
“My friends told me that Braces are going to hurt!” We hear this often when talking to our younger patients about expectations for Orthodontic treatment. The Trooth of the Matter is your first visit with us will be easier than your friends lead you to believe. We start off by cleaning your teeth with Prophy paste. We then place special lip retractors to hold the cheeks away from the teeth to keep them dry and to place the braces (See photo). We remove the retractors, add small flexible arch wires and colors…and wallah: You have braces!! There are many different types of braces and it’s important for you to know that the brace, or bracket, acts as a handle for us to hold the tooth next to the Orthodontic arch wire. It is the arch wire and your Orthodontist that does all of the work!
So now you know the appointment to put braces on is painless! The initial flexible arch wire has a special memory that will add gentle forces to your teeth during the next several weeks….so it is normal for your teeth to become sore later at home. Stick to softer foods during this time and take Advil or Tylenol if needed.