If you have finally decided to use a fixed orthodontic appliance, do not despair because even though the discomfort may prevent you from eating certain foods, you will soon be able to enjoy a crispy ham sandwich once again.
Orthodontic devices are mechanisms that help to correct the position of our teeth, allowing us to take care of our oral health. Indeed, the position of our teeth is not just a question of aesthetics.
Many nerve endings are located in the mouth and therefore any bad positioning of our teeth could cause us a lot of discomfort and interfere with the digestive process.
What changes when I wear an orthodontic device?
You will not notice any major changes, but you will notice some differences that you will have to gradually get used to.
The first change that you will notice is an increase in the sensitivity of your teeth. The pressure that the braces place on your teeth will cause the teeth to become far more sensitive.
But do not despair, this sensitivity will only be momentary and will last no more than a few days at most until your mouth adapts to the pressure that the braces place in it.
To reduce this irksome feeling, you should make some small changes to your normal diet. Softer foods, such as purées and stews, will be your new best friends.
Ensuring that your teeth make the least effort possible when chewing food will become your only goal. This will help to lessen the pain, and the discomfort will disappear more quickly.
Dental and jaw pain
There is no need to worry about these because any jaw discomfort and dental pain will be temporary and is part of the process of adaptation or it will occur after you visit the dentist.
During your visit, the orthodontist will tighten your braces, and this is what causes the discomfort.
But the pain will disappear completely in a few days at most. The pain occurs because the teeth become more sensitive on account of the pressure that the braces put them under, causing your jaw to weaken and the pain to appear as a result.
Pay more attention to your oral hygiene
It is true that fixed orthodontic devices make oral cleaning difficult. Be patient, because when everything has been completed and the treatment finally ends, you will be glad that you made the effort, and you will be grateful for the patience you had looking after your mouth.
But until then, you should change your basic oral hygiene routine:
You should also use a brush that can remove as much plaque as possible.
Accessing interdental spaces is more difficult, and so it is recommended that you use dental floss to prevent food debris from building up and causing infections.
Finally, using a mouthwash will help to ensure that your oral health is not affected.
There is no need to get upset about this because maintaining a correct oral hygiene routine while wearing an orthodontic device is possible, and if you use Ortolacer products you will manage without too much effort.
How should I brush my teeth?
It is very important to reach all the spaces where bacterial plaque and food debris can accumulate. For this reason, you should pay a lot of attention to the interdental spaces, in other words the gaps between your teeth and the braces.
These spaces are the most dangerous ones as this is where food debris accumulates.
To make sure that you reach all those spaces, it is recommended that you use specific brushes or water jets for the interdental area to facilitate the removal of the plaque situated there.
Appearance of canker sores
The hardness of the materials used in orthodontics can cause some small injuries on your cheeks. These scrapes, also known as canker sores, can be quite painful, but if you pay proper attention to them, they can be cured in a few days.
Having said that, you must not eat any acidic foods while you have canker sores! The acidity of these foods can produce a rather uncomfortable pain, and this can take some time to heal.
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