Some patients having fixed dental braces face a series of issues with their braces, the most common of which, include (1) rubbing of the wires or brackets against the cheeks or lips, (2) bracket coming unglued, (3) excessive salivation, (4) lisping, (5) bite blocks worn down, (6) wire digging in, and (7) discomfort around the teeth. Although nothing of the above is a serious condition that you should be worried about, unquestionably you feel discomfort to a certain degree. Here is how you can tackle with each aforementioned issue, so you enjoy your orthodontic treatment to its fullest.

Rubbing of the Brackets/Wires
The rubbing of the brackets or wires against lips or cheeks (or tongue if you have lingual braces), will get better over time, but for the first week or so you may want to use wax to cover the sharp parts of the braces or wires.

Bracket Coming Unglued
This is unlikely to happen if you follow our advice. Avoid hard and sticky foods, like toffees, cut your food in small pieces and chew with your back teeth. Avoid habits like nail-biting or pen-chewing. If a bracket comes us, ring reception and they will tell you when to make an appointment for a repair.

Excessive Salivation
Excessive salivation may be disturbing at first, as you are trying to adjust to having a new item inside your mouth, but it, usually, resolves within 24-48 hrs.

Lisping
Lisping doesn’t happen with normal fixed braces. It tends to occur with lingual braces, clear aligners or the Inman aligner. This will also resolve quickly, but the more you talk in your first days, the quicker your tongue will get the hang of it and the lisp will go.

Bite blocks Worn Down
It is very unlikely to happen, unless you have a tendency to grind your teeth. However, if it happens, please ring us as we need to rebuild them or otherwise you may knock out a bracket.

Wire Digging in
In these cases, wax, usually helps. In case you don’t see much improvement, please do ring us to see whether we can cut off shorter for you.

Discomfort Around the Teeth
Again, this is normal in the first two weeks. If you need painkillers do take them, but we reassure you, it will soon ease off.

As you can see, although you may experience some discomfort the first few days after you had your braces, there are no significant issues you should be worried about. Furthermore, if anything comes up, and you feel you need an issue attended, our team here at the Straight Teeth Suite is always there for you, to make the transition (without braces to having braces) smoother for you, so you can enjoy the long-lasting and excellent results upon the completion of your orthodontic treatment without any problems along the way.
So, do not hesitate to Contact Us. Book your first free consultation online NOW or call us on: 0115 824 3115.