Life with Braces FAQ
It’s natural to have some questions before you start treatment. We love that you’re curious!
Check out these common questions about life with braces, and if you still need answers, talk to us.
Do braces hurt?
You’ll be relieved to know that getting braces does not hurt. When Dr. Lin places your braces on, we’re simply bonding brackets (or BRIUS Independent Movers™) to your teeth and attaching the archwires (or BRIUS custom rigid bar). This won’t cause you any pain.
The first week you have braces, you may experience some minor soreness as your teeth and gums are adjusting. You can take some Tylenol® or another over-the-counter pain reliever to counteract the soreness. This should subside after the first week or two.
Can I get braces the same day as my consultation?
Yes. We’re proud to offer Same Day Braces, so you can leave your first appointment with braces on your teeth. Once you decide to transform your smile, why wait any longer to get started?
Can you get molds/impressions and braces on the same day? Yes! We can do it all during your consultation. We’ll examine your teeth, create your personalized treatment plan, create a custom financial plan, then place your braces.
With custom BRIUS braces and custom Invisalign clear aligners, we’ll be able to start the process to design your braces or aligners on your first visit. Your smile impressions will then be sent off for your custom treatment to be created.
How long will my treatment period be?
Your treatment time will depend on a few factors, including your overall oral health, the severity of your case, and your diligence in wearing your clear aligners if you choose Invisalign.
On average, a full treatment can take anywhere from 10 to 18 months, although your case may be shorter or longer.
Once Dr. Lin completes your exam, we’ll have an estimate of how long your treatment period will be. The length of your treatment may change, depending on how quickly your teeth are moving and whether you wear your appliances as instructed.
Can I play sports with braces?
Yes, your orthodontic treatment won’t stop you from living life on your terms! As long as you wear a mouthguard when playing sports, you won’t have to sit on the sidelines during the season.
With any type of braces, even hidden BRIUS braces, it’s incredibly important that you wear a mouthguard while playing sports. A mouth guard can protect your teeth from serious damage.
What can I eat with braces?
You can still eat at your favorite restaurants in New York! You’ll be able to eat tons of delicious snacks, meals and desserts with braces too.
Knowing what to eat your first week with braces takes some of your own discretion. During the first week of your treatment, as your teeth and gums are adjusting, you may want to choose softer foods, like pasta, tuna, mashed potatoes, or soup. You can integrate harder foods into your diet as soon as you’re feeling up to it.
Here’s a list of foods you can eat with braces:
- Dairy — cream cheese, pudding, milk
- Breads — tortillas, pancakes, muffins,
- Grains — pasta, rice, cereal
- Meats — soft chicken, soft meatballs, lunch meats
- Vegetables — cooked carrots, peas, beans
- Fruits — bananas, kiwis, strawberries, grapes
- Treats — ice cream (no nuts), milkshakes, Jell-O, frozen yogurt
What foods should I avoid with braces?
As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid foods that are considerably chewy, sticky, crunchy, or hard. These food items are infamous for damaging brackets and wires and breaking orthodontic appliances.
Chewy, sticky foods can stick to your wires and pull them out of place. Hard foods can pop your wires out of place or break a bracket. Next thing you know, you’re visiting us for an emergency orthodontist appointment. As much as we’d love to see you, we want to keep your treatment on track.
Here are some examples of foods to avoid when wearing braces or BRIUS:
- Chewy foods — bagels, hard bread rolls, Twizzlers
- Crunchy foods — popcorn, ice, dried fruits, Cheetos, Doritos, Fritos
- Sticky foods — caramel, gum, Laffy Taffy, Starburst
- Hard foods — nuts, Jolly Ranchers, hard pizza crusts, Nerds
- Foods that require biting — corn on the cob, apples, carrots
Is it normal if my teeth are wiggling during orthodontic treatment?
As weird as this sensation may be, this is normal! Your teeth and gums are adjusting to your braces. The whole point of your treatment is to guide your teeth into alignment, and with this movement comes some minor tooth wiggling.
Toward the end of your treatment, once your teeth have shifted into the desired position and you enter the retention phase, your teeth will stabilize and stop wiggling.
If any of your teeth are wiggling considerably and it concerns you, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re here to calm your fears and ensure that you’re working toward the best possible results from your treatment.
How do I brush and floss my teeth while wearing braces?
When you get your braces on, we’ll show you how to properly brush and floss your teeth!
Maintaining your oral hygiene is especially important during orthodontic treatment. If you don’t brush and floss regularly, bacteria can grow between your teeth and around your brackets and archwires, causing permanent stains, cavities, or gum disease.
With BRIUS hidden braces, the unique design makes it easier to brush and floss. There are no wires between your teeth, and it’s easier to clean around the contact points. You’ll be able to floss as if you’re not wearing braces at all!
We recommend brushing more often (three times a day) to prevent potential plaque build-up. Floss daily, and use a water flosser to clear away any food debris that might be caught.
With traditional metal braces, clear braces or Iconix® champagne-gold braces, you can use a specialized flossing threader that makes it easier to insert the floss thread between your teeth and braces. Specialized flossing threaders have a solid end that help you push the floss through the archwires.
Here’s how to brush properly with any type of braces:
- Brush the outside and inside of your teeth, as well as the chewing surface and gumline.
- Brush in small circles to reach between your archwires and around the corners of your brackets.
- Make sure you’re brushing thoroughly, but gently enough to avoid damaging your braces.
Will I need rubber bands (elastics) and orthodontic wax?
This will be determined during your initial exam. Some patients need rubber bands to align their bite, while others don’t. It all depends on your unique case.
Elastics, or rubber bands, are one of the most common appliances used during treatment with braces. Elastics are hooked around a bracket on the top teeth and a bracket on the bottom teeth to exert persistent (but gentle) force. Over time, this force aligns the teeth and jaw bones and treats malocclusions (poor bite conditions), like overbites, underbites, cross bites, and open bites.
Orthodontic wax is used in the case of minor orthodontic emergencies. If a wire pops loose, or a bracket is irritating your cheeks, orthodontic wax can be applied to the bracket or poking wire to provide temporary relief until you’re able to visit us.
To apply orthodontic wax, you’ll wash your hands, then pinch off a small piece of wax. You’ll roll this piece into a ball, then apply it to the DRY wire or bracket. Squeeze the wax into place to make sure it doesn’t fall off, then run your tongue over the wax to feel for any looseness. If there is too much saliva upon placement, the wax will not stay attached well.
Be sure to give us a call so Dr. Lin can get your braces fixed at your next appointment.
