First Day in Braces

When you’re looking for an orthodontist in Rancho Santa Margarita or Coto de Caza, we at Cook Orthodontics are glad to offer you the high-quality orthodontic care you’re in search of. We offer a wide variety of orthodontic treatments, including our efficient Orange County braces treatment. We understand that wearing braces for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience, which is why we want to provide you with some basic advice to get you ready for your first day of orthodontic treatment.

Will Braces Be Painful or Uncomfortable?

This is often the first question that we get from patients about wearing braces. Thankfully, the answer to this question is “no.” While you may feel some initial soreness or tenderness after you first have the braces attached, this feeling will subside as you begin to get used to wearing your braces. If you’d like, you can even take over-the-counter pain relievers to help with any initial discomfort. Also, if a particular area of your mouth is feeling a lot of irritation or getting poked by your wires or brackets, we recommend coating that part of your braces with orthodontic wax.

Eating Properly with Braces

One of the first things that you’ll have to modify about your lifestyle is the foods that you eat. You’ll now have to be careful about what you eat. For example, hard foods, such as nuts, chips, taco shells, and bagels need to be avoided because they can potentially break the brackets and wires of your braces. Also, sticky foods, including caramel, licorice, and toffee, need to be avoided because they can sometimes get stuck in your braces, tugging on and loosening your brackets and wires. While you’re first getting used to braces, we suggest eating plenty of softer foods, such as yogurt, soup, mashed potatoes, and pasta, for the most comfortable eating experience.

Additional Braces Tips

Unfortunately, that’s not all that you’ll have to consider when you wear braces. A successful orthodontic treatment will require a constant commitment throughout the entire treatment. Here are just a few of the other important things that you’ll have to follow through on:

• • Keep up with a dedicated oral hygiene routine. Make sure to brush after every meal and before bed. You’ll want to floss daily as well.
  • Keep any essential orthodontic supplies on hand, such as orthodontic wax and elastic bands.
  • Always make sure that your next orthodontic appointment is scheduled. Postponing an appointment can end up lengthening your overall treatment time.
  • Lastly, please bring up any questions or concerns that you have with your Orange County orthodontist and staff. We want to make your orthodontic treatment as comfortable and convenient as possible for you so we’ll be glad to help you in any way that we can.

Visit Your Orange County Orthodontist!

If you’re looking for braces in Orange County, you’ve come to the right place! Feel free to give us a call at (949) 589-7820. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We can’t wait to hear from you and put you on the path toward a straighter and healthier smile!