Welcome to

When I was fitted with braces, they gave me a Welcome package which included a sheet with general treatment guidelines. Here’s a few important points:

Soreness of Teeth
After you have the braces placed, there may be some soreness in your teeth and they may feel loose. This is nature telling you the teeth have started to move. You can use a simple pain remedy or just wait for the soreness to go away. The inside of the cheeks and lips may also be irritated for awhile. Orthodontic wax can be used to relieve this discomfort.

Eating with Braces
With care, you can probably eat most foods and do not damage.

However, we would recommend you do your best to avoid:

Be careful with
Foods with bones - cut the meat off the bone
Food with pits - remove pits from olives, cherries, peaches, nectarines, etc.
Hard food - cut in small or thin pieces (apples, pears, carrots, celery, crusty breads)

Without care
You may do damage by bending wires, breaking brackets off teeth and loosening cement under bands. Should braces become loose or broken, please let us know as soon as possible and we will schedule a repair appointment for you. Broken appliances that go unrepaired may cause damage (incorrect tooth movement) and could lengthen treatment time.

Co-operation
Successful treatment (straight healthy teeth) depends a lot on your co-operation. This means wearing appliances, headgear and elastics as instructed; taking care not to break appliances/braces; reporting breakages as soon as possible; and proper cleaning of the teeth.

Family Dentist
Please remember to visit your dentist at least every six months while undergoing orthodontic treatment. He/she will check your teeth, do any necessary work and clean your teeth thoroughly. (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!)

Root Canal
A tooth that has been traumatized (injured) from a deep filling or a blow can die over a long period of time. Occassionally, these undetected teeth flare up during orthodontic movement and require root canal treatment (removing the dead nerve) by your family dentist or recommended specialist.

Root Resorption
Shortening of the root of teeth. Orthodontic treatment (movement) may cause root resorption. Trauma, cuts, impaction or other factors have also been known to cause root resorption. Shortened roots are no disadvantage under healthy circumstances (good oral hygiene). Tooth life may be shortened if oral health (brushing) is poor.

Retainers
Once braces are removed, retainers are necessary to hold the teeth in their new position. The average retention period lasts a minimum of 24 months but this may vary with each individual and will be discussed at that time. Office visits are every six months.

Patients who do not wear their retainers as instructed often see shifting of their teeth which can only be corrected with braces. Also, broken retainers need to be repaired immediately to prevent movement of the teeth.