Q: What sort of food will I be able to eat – Day 1, day 2, day 3, etc?
A: Your cheeks and lips are bound to feel tender for the first two weeks after the braces are fitted and it’s best to avoid hard, chewy foods in an attempt to minimise the movement between the soft tissue and the brackets. Avoid biting into an apple or tearing away at a lamb chop in an attempt to limit the frequency of brackets de-bonding / dislodging. Cut these types of food first.
Q: Will my mouth swell and look distorted?
A: There can be sharp edges here and there. These can easily be adjusted at one of your review visits and you’ll be provided with plenty of wax to cover any such areas in between your two to four-weekly visits. We’ve not had any incidents of swollen, distorted mouths, immense anger or psychological impact, but this may be because most patients don’t tell us. It can be embarrassing for a while, however, the vast majority of patients have considered this likelihood before treatment starts and after looking at photos of what the braces will look like on other clients.
Q: What are the psychological impacts of not being able to eat easily?
A: You may feel like you want to give up but this feeling is transient and will evaporate after your second visit when you start to see your teeth straightening.
Q: Will I feel as though my teeth are going to fall out?
A: Soon after the braces are fitted some of your teeth will become slightly mobile. This is because your body’s inflammatory response is reacting to the pressure of the braces on your teeth but this is normal and necessary to get your teeth moving.
Q: How do I apply the wax without looking as though my teeth are melting, or covered in chip fat?
A: You can apply the protective wax by warming it between your fingers and pressing a small ball of wax over the area that’s rubbing.
Q: Why do I feel as though I’m laughing like a horse?
A: Your lips will feel like they’re protruding for the first week, but this is usually more to do with how you see yourself than with how others perceive your smile.
Q: Will I want to give up on Day 2?
A: Hang on in there, but if you can’t then the brackets can easily be removed in 90 minutes and we can look into alternative methods of straightening your teeth.