After Care
Braces:
1. What to expect
The first several days after placement of braces can be a little uncomfortable. This is because the teeth are beginning the realignment process and are not used to the pressure of the wires. During this time, we recommend eating soft foods and taking over-the-counter pain medication to help relieve the soreness.
2. Brushing and flossing with braces
Dr. B recommends brushing at least 3 times a day (after every meal) and for about 3 to 5 minutes each time. When you get your braces on, we will give you a goodie bag with a travel toothbrush and other items that will make it easier to keep your teeth and braces clean! To floss with braces, we recommend using floss threaders. You can use the threader to guide the floss above or below the wire so that you can floss the normal way you’re used to!
3. Visiting the Dentist
While in braces, seeing your dentist for cleanings and checkups at least every 6 months is important. Did you know that you can benefit from more frequent teeth cleanings while you are in braces? With braces on your teeth, it’s important that your teeth are clean and free of plaque and cavities. If you’re not up to date with your cleaning and checkup, be sure to call your dentist today!
4. Orthodontic Wax
Wax is a great tool to keep with you at all times. If you find that you have something sharp or poking, rip off a small piece of wax, roll it into a ball and squish it right onto the sharp part of your braces. You can also use the wax if you find that an area of your cheeks is irritated, place a piece of wax on the braces near that area to give your cheeks a chance to heal.
5. Foods to Avoid
NO – NO FOODS LIST
Eating certain foods can cause damage to your braces and wires. Loose bands, broken brackets and broken wires cause delays in your orthodontic treatment. Here is our list to help you through your orthodontic journey!ICE: May be nice but never chew it! It will damage your braces.
- ICE: May be nice but never chew it! It will damage your braces.
- PIZZA CRUST: The hard crust can bend the wires. The pizza part is ok.
- HARD PRETZELS, HARD ROLLS, BAGELS: They bend wires and break brackets.
- DORITOS, HARD TACOS, CHEETOS and the LIKE: They are too crunchy!
- APPLES: Slices are okay, just don’t bite directly into the whole apple.
- CORN ON THE COB: Cut the corn off of the cob.
- CHICKEN AND RIBS: Cut the meat off the bone.
- LOLLIPOPS, JOLLY RANCHERS, & HARD CANDY: They weaken your braces when you bite into them!
- POPCORN: The little kernels get between the gum and the braces.
- RAW CARROTS: Slice them thinly and eat with your back teeth.
- NUTS: Nuts are way too hard. NO NUTS OF ANY KIND.
- CARAMEL CORN, BUBBLE GUM, TAFFY, STARBURST: It sticks and it will pull wires out!
- PENS AND PENCILS: Chewing on pens, pen caps or pencils can break brackets.
There are many other foods that may cause trouble.
If you are in doubt, ask us about a particular food item.
REMEMBER: NOTHING HARD, NOTHING STICKY OR CHEWY,
AND NOTHING VERY SWEET!
Invisalign:
It is imperative to wear your Invisalign trays at least 22 hours a day. Remove the trays only when eating, brushing, and drinking (anything other than water). Wear each tray for a minimum of two weeks. If the trays feel loose, still wear until the end of the two week period. If you miss a day, pick up where you left off and make sure you’ve worn for at least 14 days. When removing your trays, be sure to always put in a case. Brush your teeth and trays before placing your trays back in your mouth.
Expander Instructions:
1. How to turn expander
Dr. Bonavoglia will instruct you exactly how to turn the expander appliance at your child’s visit. The “key” that we gave you fits into the center of the appliance. After inserting it into the hole push it all the way to the back. It is important that you move the key as far back as it will go or it will be difficult to find the hole the next time.
2. What to expect
How often should I turn my expander?
The amount of expansion required is different for every person. Dr. B will customize the amount of expansion that is best for you and instruct you on how many turns to do.
What should I expect after I turn my expander?
Patients usually experience some pressure or tenderness near the bridge of the nose and out toward the cheekbone. This is very normal. Tylenol may be helpful for this. You will most likely notice a space developing between the upper front teeth. This also is normal and is a good sign that the palatal bones are widening. Some people only experience a small space, while others notice a significant space. Do not be alarmed.
How long will I wear the expander?
Most expanders are in for about a year. This allows the palatal suture to fill in with bone and decreases the chance that the upper jaw will lose some of its expansion. Once the expander is removed, a smaller retainer will be placed to continue to give support.
3. Orthodontic Wax:
Wax is a great tool to keep with you at all times. If you find that you have something sharp or poking, rip off a small piece of wax, roll it into a ball and squish it right onto the sharp part of your expander.
4. Foods to Avoid
NO – NO FOODS LIST
Eating certain foods can cause damage to your braces and wires. Loose bands, broken brackets and broken wires cause delays in your orthodontic treatment. Here is our list to help you through your orthodontic journey!ICE: May be nice but never chew it! It will damage your braces.
- ICE: May be nice but never chew it! It will damage your braces.
- PIZZA CRUST: The hard crust can bend the wires. The pizza part is ok.
- HARD PRETZELS, HARD ROLLS, BAGELS: They bend wires and break brackets.
- DORITOS, HARD TACOS, CHEETOS and the LIKE: They are too crunchy!
- APPLES: Slices are okay, just don’t bite directly into the whole apple.
- CORN ON THE COB: Cut the corn off of the cob.
- CHICKEN AND RIBS: Cut the meat off the bone.
- LOLLIPOPS, JOLLY RANCHERS, & HARD CANDY: They weaken your braces when you bite into them!
- POPCORN: The little kernels get between the gum and the braces.
- RAW CARROTS: Slice them thinly and eat with your back teeth.
- NUTS: Nuts are way too hard. NO NUTS OF ANY KIND.
- CARAMEL CORN, BUBBLE GUM, TAFFY, STARBURST: It sticks and it will pull wires out!
- PENS AND PENCILS: Chewing on pens, pen caps or pencils can break brackets.
There are many other foods that may cause trouble.
If you are in doubt, ask us about a particular food item.
REMEMBER: NOTHING HARD, NOTHING STICKY OR CHEWY,
AND NOTHING VERY SWEET!
Lingual Braces Instructions:
After each visit before you leave the assistants chair, take some time to stand up, walk around, feel every bracket with your tongue and swallow to make sure that everything feels fine before you leave. The tiniest wire poke can sometime be painful so make sure you are completely comfortable before you leave.
1. Is there a certain way I should be brushing my teeth?
When brushing your teeth it is best to spend a few minutes on each arch angling your toothbrush perpendicular to the brackets so that they are nice and clean, paying attention especially by the gum line.
2. What if I get any sores or cuts on my cheeks and tongue?
For the first few months wax will be very useful in soothing your lips and tongue. If you need to, apply the wax to each bracket at night to give your tongue some rest. Walgreens also sells non-toxic silicone ear plugs that are awesome at staying put inside your mouth. It can be used just as wax to cover the brackets.
3. How will the adjustments feel?
With each wire change your teeth might feel like you are not quite biting right. This is just a sensation of something new in your mouth and the feeling will go away within a few hours.
4. What happens if I break a bracket?
As these brackets are on the inside of your teeth and sometimes on the biting surface of your teeth, if the brackets on the back teeth come loose or break we will sometimes cement them back on at a later date because during the first few months of treatment we are focusing on moving the front teeth. If a bracket comes loose, save the bracket and call our office and we will be happy to schedule you for a repair appointment.
5. Foods to Avoid
NO – NO FOODS LIST
Eating certain foods can cause damage to your braces and wires. Loose bands, broken brackets and broken wires cause delays in your orthodontic treatment. Here is our list to help you through your orthodontic journey!ICE: May be nice but never chew it! It will damage your braces.
- ICE: May be nice but never chew it! It will damage your braces.
- PIZZA CRUST: The hard crust can bend the wires. The pizza part is ok.
- HARD PRETZELS, HARD ROLLS, BAGELS: They bend wires and break brackets.
- DORITOS, HARD TACOS, CHEETOS and the LIKE: They are too crunchy!
- APPLES: Slices are okay, just don’t bite directly into the whole apple.
- CORN ON THE COB: Cut the corn off of the cob.
- CHICKEN AND RIBS: Cut the meat off the bone.
- LOLLIPOPS, JOLLY RANCHERS, & HARD CANDY: They weaken your braces when you bite into them!
- POPCORN: The little kernels get between the gum and the braces.
- RAW CARROTS: Slice them thinly and eat with your back teeth.
- NUTS: Nuts are way too hard. NO NUTS OF ANY KIND.
- CARAMEL CORN, BUBBLE GUM, TAFFY, STARBURST: It sticks and it will pull wires out!
- PENS AND PENCILS: Chewing on pens, pen caps or pencils can break brackets.
There are many other foods that may cause trouble.
If you are in doubt, ask us about a particular food item.
REMEMBER: NOTHING HARD, NOTHING STICKY OR CHEWY,
AND NOTHING VERY SWEET!
Speech Exercise:
As you may have already noticed your speech may sound a little different. In order to get back to your normal speech, try reading The Rainbow Passage. This passage was developed by speech pathologists to help retrain the tongue to work around your braces. Read The Rainbow Passage out loud every day until you feel that your speech is back to normal.
“The Rainbow Passage”
“When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act like a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These take the shape of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon. There is, according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond his reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
Removable Retainers:
1. Wear your retainer(s) as instructed by Dr. Bonavoglia. Most of the time the instructions will be to wear them full time, 24/7 (only taking them out to eat or brush your teeth).
2. Do NOT put the retainer(s) in boiling water. Do NOT microwave them. Do NOT put them in the diswasher or any other heat source.
3. Clean your retainer(s) every night by soaking them in Polident, Efferdent or Retainer Brite. To order Retainer Brite, visit: www.retainerbrite.com. Polident and Efferdent can be purchased at any drug store. *You can also use a designated toothbrush (just for retainer cleaning) and a small amount of dishsoap to keep your retainer sparkling!*
4. When taking the retainer(s) out of your mouth, make sure to put them in your retainer case.
5. DO NOT WRAP THEM IN A NAPKIN OR PUT THEM ON YOUR LUNCH TRAY. Doing so may result in you throwing out your retainer. Please only put them in your pocket or backpack if they are in your retainer case.
6. Keep your retainer(s) away from your pets. Cats and dogs love retainers and may chew them or break them.
7. Do not flip your retainer(s) in and out with your tongue. They may break this way.
8. Bring your retainer(s) with you to every appointment.
9. If you lose or break your retainer(s), they are very expensive to replace.
Bonded Retainers:
Why Do I Have One?
Bonded retainers are placed because of the strong tendency for a tooth or group of teeth to return to their original position. Bonded retainers protect your investment and will keep your smile looking great!!
How Long Will It Be In?
Based on current research, even those who have not had braces are at risk for teeth shifting. Therefore, it is recommended that bonded retainers be kept in as long as possible. They can always be removed in the future however, there is a risk that your teeth may shift.
Keeping them Clean
It is important to keep them clean otherwise your dentist, hygienist or Dr. B may recommend that it is removed.
Brushing
It is important to get the head of the brush on the gum line UNDER the bonded retainer.
Floss
Every day using Superfloss or floss threaders. Both can be purchased at any local drug store.
Visit your dentist at least every 3 – 6 months for regular cleanings.