Getting braces are very common around middle school years. It almost seems like more people are wearing them during this time rather than not! You may have had some friends who got already gotten braces before you and told you stories about their experiences to help you prep for your own individual braces experience. Hopefully, their stories haven’t scared you into thinking that you’ll have a negative experience. In fact, each individual’s mouth is different, so it’s best not to use your friend’s personal experience as a frame for how yours will be.
What you can expect:
Braces do change things up a bit with your daily routine. Some foods are restricted from eating like chewy, sticky, crunchy or hard foods because they can break brackets and cause an emergency trip to the orthodontist. Soreness can also occur at times. However, it is manageable.
When you get your braces initially, your mouth is not used to having the added brackets and wires in your mouth so the gums and lips may feel swollen or hurt . This is normal and will subside after a week to two weeks. We promise it will not feel this way forever! It just takes your mouth (like it will take you) a little time to get used to the braces. To help relieve any pain, we recommend that you take ibuprofen or a salt-water mouth rinse. At our office we have orthodontic wax that can be put over your braces to lessen any pain you may be encountering.
As your treatment timeline continues, you will receive adjustments along the way. This is to ensure that the braces are able to do their job of correcting your teeth. The wires may tighten or be bent, which puts pressure on the teeth causing them to feel uncomfortable for a couple days. Again, this kind of discomfort does not last forever and can be lessened with an ibuprofen as well. If pain does not subside, contact Dr. Gladwell and we will make certain that you are feeling better as soon as possible.
We are here for you!
If you may be nervous about getting your braces soon and think they will hurt, Dr. Gladwell and his staff can assure you that we will work diligently so that you have a positive experience. At Gladwell Orthodontics, our patients are like family so please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns!
