So You Just Got Braces…Now What?

Braces aren’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but Rallis and Bonilla will do everything they can to ensure your experience is as painless as possible. You may feel soreness in two ways: from pressure and from irritation. When you first get your braces and for a day or so after each adjustment, you may be achy from the tightness that’s forcing your teeth to move.

Your braces may also cause mild discomfort by scraping against your cheeks and lips, but the wax we provide you can help. Salt water rinses and over-the-counter pain relievers will also help. The discomfort is generally short lived. It’s nothing our patients can’t handle and is well worth the smile!

Depending on your treatment type and individual needs, you can expect to visit the office every six to eight weeks for adjustments.

Yes. Braces won’t stop you from playing your favorite sports! Let us know, and we’ll give you a special mouthguard to protect your teeth.

There’s a lot going on in your mouth right now. As your teeth move, your ligaments temporarily loosen, which explains why you may feel that wiggle. This is only temporary, as your teeth will be held firmly in place by your retainer once the braces come off.

The wires and brackets on braces come loose fairly often; most patients will experience this at least once during their treatment. If something is loose or broken, contact us first so we can schedule an appointment for you. If a bracket comes off, try to save it for us! Depending on how soon we can see you, you might want to try a temporary fix. Loose wires can be pushed into place with the eraser end of a pencil or tweezers if needed. Wax can hold a loose bracket in place to prevent irritation.

It all depends on you and your unique orthodontic needs, but most people are in treatment for one to two years. Rallis and Bonilla patients average around 18 to 22 months.

If you have a wire that has come loose and is poking you, use a spoon to work it back into place. If it is still poking, clip the wire so that it no longer pokes but is still inside all brackets. For a loose bracket, secure it with the temporary fix of dental wax to keep it from annoying you too much, then call us to schedule an appointment so we can get it bonded back into place.

It is rare for a genuine orthodontic emergency to occur. What is much more common are simple orthodontic discomforts and mishaps mentioned above. In most cases, we can see you the next business day. Our phone number is available after-hours with more information on how to get ahold of us to make sure you’re in good hands if immediate remedies are needed.