General Hints

Hints for Wearers of Lingual Orthodontics

GENERAL HINTS

It is vital that you keep your teeth clean during the treatment process. Braces make it harder for you to adequately clean your teeth, and inadequate cleaning leads to plaque buildup. Plaque is a white film of billions of bacteria and yeast cells, living organisms producing acidic waste that eats into your teeth. While the brackets cover and protect part of the teeth, plaque loves to accumulate in the area between the brackets and gums. To effectively remove plaque you must brush with your toothbrush head first angled outward at 45°, and then again angled inward at -45°. Left uncleaned, plaque causes both cavities and gum damage.

Always clean your teeth thoroughly after every meal or snack, and have your dentist fluoridate your teeth. However, do not have your dentist fluoridate just before having your braces put on, or the brackets will not stick as well as they would otherwise.

If you have been instructed to wear elastics all the time, be sure to carry some with you (in case one breaks) but leave the bag full of elastics at home. When elastics do break, especially during eating, replace them immediately. Otherwise, you may forget and leave them off, causing unnecessary discomfort and delaying the treatment progress. If you run out of elastics for any reason, call the office and we will mail replacements to you, or you can arrange to come in person to pick up replacements. Please call before coming by the office to make sure it is open!

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HINTS FOR WEARERS OF LINGUAL ORTHODONTICS

When first getting used to lingual appliances one has to realize that most people get along with them quite well and without any additional aids after a week or two. However, some people are more sensitive than others to the appliances and may develop canker sores from these initial irritations.

To help with the initial adjustment period, first learn to avoid swallowing using a tongue thrust. If you find that your tongue is pushing at your teeth when you swallow, try the following technique. Bring your back teeth together as if you were closing your mouth, and with the upper teeth gently contacting the lower, try to swallow. You will find it a little difficult at first, but learning the correct way to swallow will be a great aid in minimizing irritation of the tongue. Second, wax is given to you to use as needed to reduce irritation in areas of tenderness on your tongue. Don't overuse it or your mouth will never get used to the brackets. Third, try to speak as much as possible and practice over enunciating at home. This will help you speak more clearly. Remember Demosthenes, the great Roman orator, practiced speaking by putting pebbles in his mouth and then speaking loudly as he faced the Mediterranean Sea. Fourth, eat foods the first few days which are soft and soothing: bean soup, chicken noodle soup, rice, mashed potatoes, soft bread, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made with soft bread with the crust removed, fruit shakes, cottage cheese, applesauce, and Carnation Instant Breakfast or other meal replacers. Finally, until you have adjusted to your new braces, don't plan special steak dinners or dinners out to fancy restaurants. Also remember that stringy vegetables, such as lettuce, can catch in the brackets and be an embarrassment. Practice eating at home, before dining out, to test how well you are doing. You'll be glad you did.

Your back teeth will not meet at first because your front teeth will be hitting the brackets on the back of the upper front teeth. This may seem hard to deal with but it will speed up your treatment noticeably, and it will prevent you from clenching, which can remove brackets and make it more difficult to move your teeth to new positions.

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