Helping My Treatment
Orthodontic treatment depends on your body’s biological response and it can’t be hurried. Active treatment usually takes one to two years to conclude. Obviously, you wouldn’t want your treatment to take any longer than is necessary!
So here’s what you can do to ensure that your treatment is completed not only successfully, but also in the shortest possible time:
Listen to advice
Well, the first thing you should do is to listen to your orthodontist/ therapist/ nurse/receptionist’s advice carefully when your braces are fitted, and also at every appointment thereafter. Read any written advice given to you as well as the Brace Care Advice and instructions under Patient Information section of our website.
Know what to expect
You need to know what normal troubles to expect during the first few days of having your braces, and that after those first few days, your braces will become comfortable, and most of the time you will forget they are there.
Watch what you eat
You need to avoid certain foods and drinks. These include sticky, chewy or hard sweets (e.g. toffee, wine gums, boiled sweets) and chewing gum. Try not to bite into hard food directly with your front teeth (e.g. crusty bread, ribs), and cut up harder fruit and vegetables before eating them. It is best to eliminate fizzy drinks including sparkling water, carbonated cola drinks, and juices. If you are having a drink occasionally, have them at meal times only and ideally fruit juices are diluted. Water is the best drink when you are wearing braces.
Stop habits
Certain habits can damage your teeth as well as your braces and put the success of your treatment at risk. These include finger or thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, nail-biting, pen and pencil chewing, ‘clicking’ removable braces in and out, and touching or picking at your fixed braces. Stop these habits!
Keep excellent oral hygiene
Take your time when brushing, brush over your gum margins and make sure you have covered every surface of every tooth and for fixed braces use interdental brushes to clean between the brackets and under the wire. Use fluoride mouthwash twice a day. Ideally, you need to brush after every meal. Poor oral hygiene will cause gum disease, tooth decay, and leave permanent stains on your teeth.
Cooperate with instructions
Wear your removable braces, elastics, Invisalign aligners as advised. You are effectively carrying out your own orthodontic treatment by wearing these, and no progress will be made if your orthodontist’s instructions are not followed. If you forget what you have been advised, please call, email or send us a text/WhatsApp.
Keep your appointments
Attending regular appointments means that your braces are adjusted as soon as they are ready to be adjusted, and this way your treatment will progress smoothly and rapidly. This also allows your orthodontist to detect any potential problems and prevent them before it is too late. Please contact us if you are unable to keep an appointment so that a new appointment time can be booked for you without any delay, and without jeopardising the quality of your treatment.
Tell us quickly about problems
Let us know if anything goes wrong, especially if your brace is lost or damaged and you can’t wear it. We will advise you what to do and whether you need to make an emergency appointment.
Visit your regular dentist
Regardless of the type of brace you are wearing, you must always see your regular dentist for six-monthly check-ups.
