There are several things you should know about minor problems that may occur with braces, and what to do about them:
1) Putting on braces is not painful. Don't listen to what others tell you. The first 2-3 days after getting braces on, there will be some initial soreness and discomfort which can be relieved by avoiding hard foods and taking an over-the-counter pain reliever.
2) Loose Brace: Occasionally, a glued bracket may come loose and become an irritation to your mouth. You can push a small ball of wax onto the brace to smooth off the irritation, or you can remove the loose bracket and save it in an envelope to bring to the office. Call the office as soon as possible in order for us to reglue the bracket.
3) Poking Wire: Occasionally, a wire may stick out of the back brace. Either a ball of wax can be used, or you may use a nail clipper or cuticle cutter to cut the extra piece of wire that is sticking out.
4) Wire out of Back Brace: Care must be taken to avoid hard or sticky foods that can bend the wire or make it come out of the back brace. If this does happen, though, use a needle nose plier or tweezer to put the wire back into the hole in the back brace.
5) Poking Hook: some of your brackets have small hooks on them so that you may wear elastics when Dr. Nick says it's time to wear them. These hooks can occasionally be irritating to the lips or cheeks. If this happens, you may either use a pencil eraser to carefully push the hook in, or you can place a ball of wax on the hook to make the area feel smooth.
If you are unable to take care of the problem using these tricks, please feel free to call the office or Dr. Nick's pager (if not during office hours). We are here to take care of you, so you don't need to wait until your next appointment.
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