Congratulations! Thank You for Choosing INBRACE and Welcome to the Crowd
You’ve taken the first and most important step on your way to a great new smile. This is just the beginning of your journey, and honestly the next 2-3 weeks will be the most challenging as you and your mouth continue to adjust.
Below are a few tips and tricks to help you adjust to your orthodontic treatment.
Managing Comfort
It may come as no surprise that you will experience initial discomfort associated with the new braces and tooth movement. Any discomfort you feel with INBRACE® is temporary and normal, and things will get better quickly! The following techniques will help you manage your adjustment period and improve your overall experience:
• Rinse with warm salt water to help the healing process
• Place orthodontic wax or Gishy Goo on your braces to make them feel smoother until your mouth adapts
• Over-the-counter pain medicine like Ibuprofen, Motrin®, or Tylenol® can help
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and help with dry mouth
Communication
Orthodontic treatment takes up space in your mouth and this can influence your speech. To return to normal speech, you’ll need to train your mouth and tongue. The best way to train is to exercise – we recommend speaking frequently, and even singing out loud in the car or in the shower! In 2-3 weeks, you’ll barely notice INBRACE is there. Get that playlist ready, it’s time for some carpool karaoke!
We also recommend downloading the Rainbow Passage – Speech Therapy to read it out loud. This will help train the tongue and overcome the adjustment period for speech quickly.
Oral Hygiene
It’s very important to take care of your teeth and braces during treatment. The unique design of INBRACE helps by letting you brush and floss as if you weren’t wearing braces at all! Following a few helpful tips will keep your teeth strong and healthy during treatment:
• Brush and floss daily to prevent food from getting stuck between your teeth
• Using a Waterpik® or other water jet flosser is highly recommended, in addition to regular brushing and flossing
• Pay close attention to thoroughly clean the area behind your lower front teeth
• Using a proxy-brush or toothpicks may also be helpful, but use caution around wires and brackets
Diet
As teeth move, your sensitivity to hot and cold food and drinks may increase. Paying attention to your diet may minimize discomfort and watching what you eat throughout you time in treatment will help improve your overall experience:
• Begin with soft foods until teeth tenderness is gone, then gradually incorporate more solid foods
• Peel fruits before eating, this will prevent peels from sticking between your teeth or on INBRACE
• We recommend avoiding carbonated soft drinks, but if you do, use a straw
• Avoid hard, sticky, and chewy foods, like nuts, popcorn, pizza crust, granola bars, baguettes, caramel candies, toffy, beef jerky, and similar foods
• We recommend minimizing gum chewing
What to do if a bracket is broken
If a bracket comes loose and separates from a tooth, it may not bother you, but you still need to call the office and let them know. Your orthodontist may schedule an appointment to make corrections immediately or add more time to your next appointment for the fix.
What to do if a wire is broken
In the rare event a wire breaks, we recommend covering any part that is causing irritation with wax and contacting your orthodontist.
We also recommend downloading the Rainbow Passage – Speech Therapy to read it out loud. This will help train the tongue and overcome the adjustment period for speech quickly.
We know you’re excited to see your new smile, and we are too! Following these pointers will keep you smiling long past the adjustment phase, and from there your life should return to normal. Enjoy the coming months, you’ll get to watch your new smile appear right before your eyes!