BLOG FOR NEW PATIENTS...AND OLD
Some of the questions that I hear most often are:
- Will is hurt when I get my braces or turn the expander?
- Will I get a shot or gas when you put them on?
- How often will I have to come in?
- What can I not eat with braces?
- How long will I wear them?
- And a bunch more....
So, now you can ask your questions on our BLOG and talk with patients in treatment, patients who are finished and in retainers, and assistants who are in treatment and in retainers too.
Now you can get honest answers from people who know.
So, ASK AWAY !.
posted by drp @ 7/13/2006 11:03:00 PM
36 comments
36 Comments:
SORENESS!!! Whether it is your first day of having braces or just a really tough adjustment you have had,...there are always those sore days! Wanna know a great little trick/treat that will help you feel some relief? I always tell patients that if they go to Sonic or to any Shave Ice place, they can request the SLUSH or the SHAVE ICE without flavoring and it can rest right up next to those sore areas! It is amazing how much releif you can feel from that cold contact to the sore area, and there is no sugar if you do not add the flavoring!!! Try it!
Keep and wear your retainers!!! Here is an example of what not to do: I left my first lower retainer in a napkin at a fast food restaurant and it was thrown into the dumpster never to be seen again. I left my frist upper retainer on my plate at home and it ended up on the dishwasher. It was never the same after that. :)I had to spend my own money to get a second set of retainers. :( So, always keep your retainers in your mouth or in your retainer case.
I agree! Always know where your retainers are! As for being in braces, just remember when it doesnt necessarily feel great, you will have a beautiful smile as a result of all your hard work. Dont give up! My biggest advice to everyone would be to wear your rubberbands!!!! There is a reason Dr. P tells you to wear your rubberbands and until you listen and wear them like you are supposed to , you are just wasting your time. I have learned from experience how not wearing your rubberbands can prolong your treatment (I was supposed to wear my braces for a year MAX, but now it will be closer to 18 months) and you cant be mad at anyone, but yourself for that. Its easy! Just follow the instructions and you will have a gorgeous smile in no time! Good luck to everyone and I will keep you updated on how my treatment is going...
Hey, soreness is just a little dint in your treatment. Most of the treatment is going to be a piece of cake. The sorness should wear off. If you are just now getting your braces put on it should only hurt for about a week.(that's how my teeth were.)Rubberbands only hurt for about 3 days. ummmm..... retainers well they should not hurt that much at all. Again that's only on my teeth. You may be more sensitive to pain or not as sensitive. You will be thankful for your braces when you get them off. Even though when pain kicks in you wish you didn't get braces, you'll be glad you did when you get them off. Trust me. I get comments on my teeth all the time.
I have a expander and full set of braces Im a guy do i need mouth guard to protect them.Can you give me any tips with the expander.
Hi Anonymous,
If you are playing sports or a contact hobby--you sure do. We can help design and fit one for you. The braces do not need much protection otherwise. If you are thinking about protecting your lips, some wax should work and you will only need it for about the first week. My best advise on the RPE is keep it very clean--espacially on the roof of the mouth; make the turns accurately and as quickly as possible [so we can get it out faster]; and try not to press up on it with your tongue--it will press a groove into your tongue and it is hard to keep clean.
Dr. Pickard
Well if you play any sports at all, you DO need a mouth guard!! This will help protect not only your teeth but also your lips/cheeks. As for a mouth guard just to wear I would say NO. You can sleep in one if you grind your teeth or just feel that is more comfortable while you sleep. Don’t go buy one! These are free (for our patients) just ask one of us in the office, and we will be glad to give one to you… As for the expander … you just need to keep it ULTRA CLEAN. I can be uncomfortable if you gums start to swell around the appliance. This does not have to happen to you though… we do give you, what we call proxy brushes... (Some people call them Christmas trees, small brushes, etc…), they are able to bend and move around the bars on the inside of your mouth that is very hard to reach with just a general toothbrush. You can also get a water pick, which we do not have. I believe you can get them at Wal-Mart. They will do about the same thing just help you get to hard to reach places. I think just using mouthwash is a very big part of keeping that area clean. We recommend ACT (which you can also buy at Wal-Mart) and if you can stand it Listerine is wonderful for killing all that bacteria up under that RPE. To look on the positive side of things the RPE doesn’t stay in there the whole time, generally about 6-8 months. As for turning the RPE the best time to do it is at night right before bed. Take a deep breath and push the key strait back. If it really bothers you always take ibuprofen or Tylenol about 30 min before you have to turn. You should feel a little pressure but not any sharp pain. Call us if there is anything unusual going on. I hope this answered your questions.
What happens when you finally get your braces off? What do they do to you and do they take them all off at one time?
Well it depends on the patient's situation. MOST of the time we take them
off in stages. First, we do what is called a class 2 debond where we remove
the front 6 on the upper and the back in the lower. This allows the teeth to
settle into place before we actually remove all the braces. We usually tell
the patient to chew lots of gum at this point to aid in the process of
meshing the teeth together. Then, in two weeks we remove the rest of the
braces and take impressions of the teeth to send to the lab to make the
patients retainers. Then, the patient will be absolutely free of anything
for two more weeks. After the two weeks, we will deliver the retainers and
go over all the instructions at that time. At this appointment we will
also take a picture to put on our website of the patients teeth, we like to
show off our beautiful smiles. If the patient is getting bleaching trays we
will NOT deliver at this first appointment back. We want to allow for the
patient to get use to wearing the retainers. We do not want them to get so
excited over the bleaching that it cause them to not wear there retainers
enough and the teeth start to move. We will schedule to deliver the
bleaching trays at the retainer delivery appointment.
In special circumstances we will remove ALL the braces at one time but only
if we absolutely have to.
Hey! I will be getting my braces on in about 2 weeks! I'm super nervous! I hear that when you get them on it doesn't hurt to to much.. is that true? How long will it take to put them on?? And is it true that when you get them off your mouth is FULL of spit? Anyways keep me aware I need all the info I can get! oh.. 1 more thing sure i eat like soft food after i get my braces on for about 1 week?
Soft foods will help
Ive had my braces for almost 12 hours now, and its pretty sore.
I heard it stops in 3 to 5 days tho
I can just have soup right now
what are bleaching trays?
I've had braces on for years, they were never completed and as a result many of the bracketes have come off leaving the bonding to stain my teeth. Can I use reverse rubber cement to debond the remaining braces?
I just put my braces on and tried to floss my teeth. But I couldn't do it for some of my teeth because they are glued together by the glue used for the bracket. Is it common?
Unfortumately, my orthodontist doesn't work during weekend.
Can my situation be considered as emergency?
What should I do?
Thank you!
im havin mine in april and im nevous now and its only november
I'm really nervous because I gotta get my braces this year in 2008 and I wanna be ready. I asked my cousin if it hurt and she said it kinda did.
Do you get a lisp and druel a lot when you get the palate expander?
does it hurt to get them on?ad i go for that x ray today wut do they doe exactly?.
Ok, i'm looking into getting braces and i don't really know anything about them! I've wanted to have a nice smile since i was a kid, and i've always been self concious-never smiling in pictures, always feeling that when i talk to people, they're stareing at my teeth! Braces never seemed financially possible as a kid.... Since im 21 now, i finally said it's time. And when i seen a commercial on tv, i came here. I'm ready to do it! I want that great smile i've been longing for! Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!
Hi,
I'm getting my braces on wednesday and it's monday night, I had this headgear-type thing that I only had to wear at night and that cut up my inside of my cheek's a little bit and I was wondering if braces did the same? Also is there a perimeter of how gentle I am when brushing? because sometimes when I brush I bleed.
It is normal for the braces to rub the inside of your cheek- After about 2 weeks you should be comfortable with braces and all the appliances. If your gums bleed when you brush, then it means that there is an infection so brush more often and take more time and the bleeding should go away
I have to get braces soon. And I dont mind but... I thought i would get normal braces! But no I have to get head gear. I only know one person in my whole year with braces! cos where I live nobody gets braces, but I dont want horrible teeth. I am really scared...
I went to the dentist and the next thing i knew she pulled out a electric fence for your face. I have been begging my mum to get cosmectic dental syrgary but I probally too young.
Its made me fell better knowing other peoples stories.. :-)
In what special circumstances will they take the braces off at one time? I'm very close to being finished with treatment and I go in for an appt this week...but I'm getting married next month and they have to be completely off by then!
I just got spacers and they hurt!! I really need help!!
Spacers are really painful but if you are able to take ibuproen - that should help with the gums swelling and the inflammation you may feel. Also very cold items - for example a slush or icee - may help alleviate some of your discomfort. Also, if you are a patient of Arkansas Orthodontics - we are available to you after hours for any concerns you may have! Hope you feel better soon!
spacers are the worst part of gettin braces i have a full mauth of braces and a expander and yes, u will drool alot and dont be surprised if you wake up to a pile of spit on ur pillow.WAX (it will be ur best friend dor a while) u will always and ever need ur wax. at first wen you just get ur expander, wen u trun it, it will hurt like that for a few days but after a while you will still feel but it wont hurt near as bad. i am still wondering, i have had my "metal mouth" sence oct. 21 and i sill havent gotten my ruber bands. wen will i get them? yea and SPACER will hurt like crazy 4 a while. dont get white colors on urbraces if u eat any kind of condments (ketchup mustard etc).
Good luck with ur braces
annie bryant
hey guys my parents r havin a tough time figurin out how 2 pay 4 my braces dis anyone else hav trouble
Ummm hello...I'm kinda new to the braces thing.Is it true or is it false that it hurts and feels like their pulling your teeth out?
how much do the braces cost? i am just needing them on my top teeth. thanks
Bethany - It is always a little uncomfortable when something crazy is happening in your mouth that has never been there beofre! The key is communication and our doing the best we can to take care of the patients we love so much! It does not hurt at all to place the brackets on the teeth - when the teeth start to move in the days after, sometimes there is soreness and pressure - but so worth it! :) Hope we can help you start smiling BIG and beautiful soon!
visit our website razorbraces.com for more info!
lplow - braces are very affordable with our office! The monthly payments are usually around $159 a month - as far as the upper/lower braces question - it is best to see what the doctor thinks and get an estimate with a FREE consultation! Our offices are always no down payment, ZERO interest and those low monthly payments! You can reach our office at 1.800.4BRACES - We would love to help you! - Hope that helps - let me know if I can answer any other questions for you!
hi i have had my braces on since April of 2008 and i have never got my rubber bands. This week i went in for my appoiment and the dentist to her assistant to schedule in four weeks for debond. whats going to happen ?? help
I got rubber bands about a week ago and they dont hurt, but i have a high pain tolerance. The neon rubber bands are awesome! One thing is that the bottom tooth that one of the rubber bands is attached to feels like it is coming out.
I was reffered to Arkansas Orthodontics for a crossbite I guess... I just wanted to know if and when i get something put in my mouth what will it be and what will it do??
I am a 32 year old woman and have always needed braces. What do I need to do to get started? Do I need a referral? Is there a payment plan? Do Invisaligns work for everybody? And is it weird to see a 32 year old person with braces? Thanks!
Anonymous 32 year old woman - Great that you found us! This is actually our older blog and we had no idea it was still out there! :) Believe it or not, I am actually posting on behalf of Dr. P and I am a 36 year old woman in braces! I think it is great that you are considering doing it for yourself! It really is no different than a younger kid - except sometimes the kids can handle all the change better than us adults! :) You do NOT need a referral and all you would need to do would be schedule a FREE evaluation in one of our offices to see what the doctors would recommend for you! Invisallign do not work for everyone and sometimes are not the best option for your bite and alignment of your teeth - but the orthodontists could advise you on that as well. Our payment plan is VERY affordable and we offer NO down payment and 0% interest to all of our patients. My email is jharding@arkansasorthodontics.com Just email me and I will be glad to set up the next step! Your smile is worth it! Thanks for posting and putting yourself "out there"! Talk to you soon!
Post a Comment
<< Home