How do you use wax on your braces?
- Slightly wet the fingers that you will use to place the wax.
- Pinch a ball of wax out of the container with the wet fingers.
- Pull your lip out of the way and “suck in” the extra saliva in your mouth to try and dry out the area where you’ll be placing the wax. You can also dry the area with another finger.
- Apply the ball of wax to the target area and mold around the tooth/bracket/poking wire to allow it to stick
Note: Apply wax to your braces as often as needed to ensure comfort until you can get to Team Orthodontics.
What should I do if I'm having issues with my archwires?
Initial archwires are very flexible and can slip out.
We take every precaution to prevent these wires from slipping out of the back braces, but hard foods can flex the wires and cause them to come out. If these wires do come out and we are not available to help, you can insert the wire back in the tube using tweezers or place a ball of wax on the end of the wire.
As a last resort, you can utilize heavy nail clippers to clip the archwire to sit flush with the brace.
What should I do about loose brackets?
At some point, brackets may come loose or wires may poke.
If a bracket comes loose or an archwire is poking out, DO NOT PANIC. Please contact us so that we can do our best to make you feel at ease. We’ll go over how to use wax to temporarily solve your situation (or watch one of our home care videos below).
For discomfort, we recommend taking Tylenol, ibuprofen, or use our “Miracle Rinse”, which is equal parts water, liquid Benadryl, and liquid antacid swished in your mouth 3 times per day. If you have tension in your teeth, chewing sugarless gum can help relieve it.
What is the proper hygiene for braces?
Proper oral hygiene is just as important as it was before you had braces.
Team Orthodontics promotes excellent oral hygiene and we’ve provided you with the tools to help you properly maintain it (toothbrushes, a proxabrush, floss, wax). Your local grocery store will have more of these items if you should run out. If for some reason you cannot find them, reach out to our staff at Team Orthodontics and we can provide it for you. We also recommend that you rinse daily with fluoride to prevent tooth decay and decalcification.
What foods should I avoid while I have braces?
Avoid any hard or sticky foods.
We recommend staying away from caramels, taffy, corn chips, nuts, ice, and any other hard or sticky foods. Additionally, you want to make sure all meats are cut off of the bone and fresh fruit or vegetables are cut into small pieces.
The adhesive we use for your braces is very strong. However, the excessive chewing force can cause brackets to come loose, especially when your teeth are initially moving. If you feel a significant amount of resistance while chewing, do not bite harder. Instead, ease off on the biting pressure.
What are the normal symptoms of braces?
- Tenderness of the teeth for the first 4-5 days.
Use Tylenol/Advil/Motrin and chew sugarless chewing gum. Chew softer foods initially. - Tenderness of the insides of the lips and cheeks for 4-5 days. Use Tylenol/Advil/Motrin or use “Miracle Rinse” and apply wax to dried-off braces/wire ends.
- Some mobility of the teeth.
- Some teeth moving faster than others. This may give the appearance of some teeth becoming crooked. This normal occurrence will be corrected with time.
I'm new to braces - what will my progress look like?
If you’re a new patient, Dr. D will be giving you a call.
Within the first week of your treatment, Dr. Danyluk will reach out to you personally to check on your progress. Feel free to ask the doctor any questions you have about your treatment at this time.
If you have an emergency, please call our emergency line 602-503-8448 between the hours of 8 AM and 7 PM. Please leave a detailed message about your emergency and a team member will return your call to help make you feel more comfortable.
If you’re in need of appointment times or account information, please give us a call at either our Ahwatukee orthodontist office or our Gilbert orthodontist office.
Please remember that a vast majority of orthodontic emergencies will not negatively affect your treatment duration.
