BRACES

Check braces daily for anything loose or bent.  * If a bracket would come off the tooth, remove it and place it in an envelope and bring it with you to your next appointment (always keep your bracket)  * If your wire should slip out of the bracket, clip the tail of the wire with a fingernail clipper and put wax from your wax pack on the end so there is no irritation  *Call us immediately if anything breaks or if you have an irritation Try to explain what has happened. Be as specific as possible with the receptionist. If you lose your rubber bands, call us so we can mail you some more or drop by the office and pick some up.

REMOVABLE APPLIANCES

1. The removable appliance is carefully designed to reshape and/or correct your upper to lower jaw relation. It is important that it is worn according to instructions and brought to each appointment. 2. Wear your appliance at all times, even while you are asleep. In two or three days your speech will return to normal with the appliance in place. Avoid flipping your appliance with your tongue. This can cause damage to your teeth or breakage of your appliance. 3. Your new appliance may make your teeth sore for a day or two, especially after an adjustment. If you have a sore spot on your gums call our office so that we can adjust the appliance. 4. Clean your appliance by brushing it daily with toothpaste. Denture cleaner can also be used for a more thorough cleaning. If you are wearing a bonded wire retainer behind your front teeth, be extra careful to clean the wire and the area around it. Flossing should be done every day. 5. Never wrap your appliance in a paper napkin or tissue and set it down on the table. You or someone else may throw it away. Don't put it in your pocket when playing or you may break or lose it. Whenever it is not in your mouth it should be in its plastic appliance case. 6. Keep your appliance away from dogs or cats as they love to chew on them. Avoid storing them near any source of heat. Do not boil your retainer to sterilize it! If needed, bring it to the office and we will be happy to disinfect it for you. 7. An additional charge will be incurred for lost or broken appliances.

BRUSHING & FLOSSING

You will notice that it is harder to keep your teeth clean with braces. Food compacts in the brackets and between your teeth, and can only be removed by brushing and flossing. If plaque remains on the teeth for any length of time, it will leave a permanent white scar on the surface. Brushing after meals should become part of your daily schedule. Use a soft toothbrush with firm pressure and brush at a 45-degree angle to the tooth; brush in small circles above and below the brackets. Your toothbrush will wear out faster because of your appliances, so be sure to replace it whenever the bristles start to fray. A waterpik can be a useful addition but it cannot remove the sticky plaque that adheres to the teeth. Interplak toothbrushes are great. Flossing is important and should be done every day. The floss threaders are reusable. **Most important use the Pyco-Twin tooth brush after you have finished your regular brushing. Apply bristles between teeth and under wire upwards on the lower teeth and downwards on the upper teeth so as not to strip the gums away from the roots of the teeth.  Then brush sideways between braces and gums.  Be sure to remove all plaque in this crucial area. Use a toothbrush with a small amount of toothpaste. 1. Use circular, vibrating motions around the gumline for about 10 seconds on each tooth. 2. Brush every tooth slowly. 3. Brush the lower teeth up and the upper teeth down. Also brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Floss nightly after brushing to remove the plaque missed by brushing. Thread stiff end of floss between your teeth and under the wire.  Pull about 2 inches in toward tongue and back toward lip.  Use floss for upper and lower front teeth.  It is not absolutely necessary to pull puffy part of dental floss through all teeth, but may be helpful. Carefully pull waxed floss between wire and braces.  **Before sleep, apply the fluoride gel or rinse we have provided.  Spit out excess and avoid further rinsing before sleep.

FOODS TO AVOID

Do not eat hard foods: nuts, ice, crisp taco shells, whole apples and carrots (cut them into tiny pieces first), hard French bread crust and rolls, spareribs, corn on the cob (cut the corn off the cob before eating), and popcorn! These foods risk breaking brackets and wires. Also beware of nail biting and pen or pencil chewing habits, since these can damage your braces. Do not eat sticky foods: taffy, caramels, bubble gum, or sticky candy of any sort. Use common sense about most foods.