There is a lot of information you need to know when you get braces, and it can be overwhelming. For your benefit, we’ve compiled a list of everything you need to understand. Check out our first list of advice for getting braces if you haven’t already, or dive right in below!
What to do if braces hurt?
While the process of applying brackets itself is painless, you may experience some pain and discomfort in the early days and at different stages throughout the treatment. You will progressively grow calluses that strengthen the tissue in your mouth, but you may experience sores on the insides of your lips and cheeks.
How long does pain last?
During the first week, you may experience pressure and soreness on your teeth and gums, particularly when chewing. Additionally, you may find cuts on your tongue from running it across your new brackets, a habit that can be hard to avoid.
However, most people get used to their braces relatively quickly and eventually stop noticing them. It is normal to still experience some soreness, but constant pain disappears once you are used to your braces.
Getting your braces tightened is the most notable time to watch out for pain. Tightening can cause discomfort, but it should not be as acute as the initial period and should last no more than a couple days.
How to relieve pain?
If you are experiencing pain, you can take light analgesics like Panadol or Nurofen to relieve the discomfort. Pain relief can be particularly useful at night to help you get a good night’s sleep. Typically you will be able to stop taking pain relief after a couple weeks.
We can also give you special wax which covers the brackets and acts as a barrier to prevent irritation and pain. However, we suggest not relying it on too much, to give you the best chance to adapt to the feeling of braces in your mouth.
How long does it take to see results?
It will be a little while before you can see significant changes to your teeth and jaw. While it is possible to notice small changes after four weeks or so, it typically takes a couple of months before you can see a truly noticeable difference. Children’s teeth tend to move quicker relative to adults.
As with most things related to dental treatment, the timeline will depend on your individual bite and treatment course. Some people like to take a photo at the beginning of every month to track how things are changing.
What happens after braces?
Once your braces come off, it is a time to celebrate! But it is not necessarily a time to relax completely. To ensure that your treatment creates long-lasting change to your teeth, there are a number of useful post-treatment practices.
What do you wear after braces?
Some people return after treatment and ask “why are my teeth not straight after braces?”
People think once their braces are off that they’re done. But to maintain your new alignment, what you get afterwards is a retainer.
Retainers are custom-made devices that sit behind your teeth to prevent them from moving back to their original positions. Each patient wears their retainer full time for the first few months (except for eating), but this is slowly tapered back. Eventually, you will only wear it for a short period each day or while sleeping.
How long after braces can you whiten your teeth?
We recommend whitening your teeth after getting braces, rather than before or during treatment. Getting your teeth whitened prior can lead to uneven tooth colour where the brackets have disrupted the colouring. Similarly, as braces treat uneven or crooked teeth, whitening prior to braces leads to uneven colouring. This becomes noticeable when your teeth begin to move.
After braces are removed, your teeth and gums neeed some time to settle and strengthen. Orthodontics Australia recommends waiting at least six months after braces before whitening your teeth.
Remember to contact us if there is anything you are unsure about with your braces, or if you have any questions. Getting your teeth in the best shape is what we are here for.
