Recommendations For A Successful Orthodontics Appointment And After-Care
Posted on: 18 April 2022
Braces are a great way to get that perfect smile with neatly aligned teeth and no gaps or crooked spaces. Approximately 4 million Americans wear them every year. Braces today have come a long way from those in the past, and there are plenty of convenient and easy-to-use treatments to get your teeth straightened. However, when it is time for you to get braces for your child, there can be a lot of merit to being prepared for the appointment and what they can expect afterward. Here are some recommendations to help you prepare your child for an upcoming orthodontics appointment.
Get Ready For Your First Appointment
When you are considering braces on your children, keep in mind that it is a good idea to have them evaluated for the need for braces by the age of 7. This provides their orthodontist an opportunity to determine if there are any concerns that they would need braces for, such as an overbite, overcrowding, or teeth misalignment, so you can get them corrected. After you complete the initial evaluation with the orthodontist to make a plan for your child's braces and treatment plan, take the time to prepare them for the first visit.
Make sure you arrive on time so you or your child are not rushed and feel stressed out for the first visit. Your orthodontist is going to schedule the right amount of time to install the brackets onto their teeth, which can take a couple of hours, depending on the type and number of brackets they are using. So plan your day so that you have available time to do this and you are not in a hurry to leave.
It is also helpful to take some measures to keep your child more comfortable during their first appointment. Bring some lip balm that they can wear while the orthodontist installs the brackets. Your child will need to keep their mouth open during the braces application, and it is helpful if their lips stay moistened with lip balm.
Make sure they use the restroom before the appointment and that they eat lunch or breakfast so they are not starving while they sit in the orthodontist's chair. Talk to your orthodontist about the option for your child to watch a movie or listen to a podcast while they sit to help the time pass more smoothly.
Use Proper After-Care Treatment
After getting new braces, your child is going to have an adjustment period to get accustomed to the feel of braces and also keep them protected against damage. With some small items and tools, adjusting to their new braces will be a positive experience.
Occasionally, new braces can rub an area inside the interior of your child's mouth where the braces touch their lips. When there is any soreness from the bracket or wires rubbing on your child, you can apply some orthodontic wax onto the outside of the bracket to smooth over the bumps and nubs of the braces. Ask your child's orthodontist about wax that they can apply as a type of protection.
Then you can also use some bracket cleaners and flossers to clean around braces and help your child floss their teeth. With braces, traditional flossers and dental floss are not going to be effective, but your orthodontist can provide you with some special floss and cleaning brushes or recommend a water flosser to remove food particles that can stick onto your child's brackets from time to time.
Take some time to know exactly what your child can and cannot eat, especially right after getting their braces put on and later adjusted at each appointment. Opt for warm soups or teas to soothe any mouth soreness. Then, make sure they avoid crunchy and sticky foods that can break brackets off their teeth, such as celery, taffy, apples, corn on the cob, French bread, and raw carrots.
Contact local orthodontics to learn more.
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