Braces First Week Tips

Are you preparing for your first week wearing braces? Whether you are still researching orthodontic treatments or just had your brackets and wires bonded in place, it’s good to know what to expect for your first few days in braces.

Braces: Components

Using braces has been a common practice to realign teeth that predates the beginning of modern orthodontics by a few millennia. In fact, braces are still one of the tools most preferred by orthodontists today, though the design has been updated considerably since ancient Egypt. They consist of at least two parts:

Brackets – metal or ceramic posts securely bonded to your teeth with a composite adhesive.
Archwires – thin metal wires threaded in between each bracket for a continuous connection.

If you have an overbite, underbite, or open bite, your orthodontist may also use elastics (i.e., rubber bands) to help correct the issue.

Braces: Function

Throughout treatment, your orthodontist will periodically tighten the archwire to increase pressure on the brackets. This moves teeth in a controlled manner, allowing your orthodontist to gradually improve your tooth alignment until you have a perfectly straight smile.

One reason behind the long-lived popularity of braces is their extreme versatility. Braces can correct nearly all mild-to-severe alignment issues, including:

Impacted teeth
Overcrowding
Crossbite
Overbite/overjet
Underbite
Open bite
Spacing issues/smile gaps

For braces to succeed, however, you will need to follow your orthodontist’s instructions diligently. Below, you will find key advice and a host of braces first-week tips from the Beverly Hills Orthodontics (BHO) team that will help you start treatment off right!

Your Braces: First Week Expectations

First, let’s review what will happen during the first few days of treatment. Once we establish what to expect at the doctor’s office, you can follow our braces first-week tips to begin building good habits.

Attaching Your Braces

As you may have guessed, the first week of treatment begins when your orthodontist attaches your braces to your teeth. While it’s perfectly normal to be concerned or anxious about this process, we have some good news: attaching braces to your teeth is a painless procedure. And, it only takes an hour or two to complete.

To attach the braces, your orthodontist will:

Clean your teeth and dry them in preparation for bracket attachment.
Use bonding material to attach the brackets across your rows of teeth.
Shine a curing light on brackets to harden the bonding material and create a firm connection.
Slide metal bands over your molars if necessary to anchor the braces. The bands are sized to your molars, so you should not feel any pain or discomfort, just a bit of pressure.
Connect all the brackets together with an archwire.

Once anchored by metal molar bands and threaded through each bracket, the archwire is cut close to the end of the bands to keep it from irritating the gums or cheeks. If your treatment includes overbite, underbite, or crossbite correction, your orthodontist will also attach elastics to the brackets and show you how to attach them yourself.

As mentioned previously, the attachment process is completely pain-free. However, you will feel some pressure while bonding the brackets and bands. You should also expect the doctor to place an appliance in your mouth to keep it open for the entire procedure.

After Your Office Visit

Immediately after your braces are attached, you may experience some short-term effects:

Tooth Pressure. Braces correct alignment problems by applying pressure to teeth. You will feel this pressure on your teeth as the braces are first attached and whenever the archwire is tightened. The pressure should not cause any pain and naturally subsides within a couple of days. If it becomes uncomfortable, take an OTC painkiller (e.g., Tylenol) and avoid hard foods.
Slight Skin Irritation. Along with tooth pressure, brackets and wires can irritate the inside of your lips, cheeks, and tongue as you start treatment. After a few days, up to a couple of weeks, your mouth will become accustomed to the braces hardware and the irritation will stop. For immediate relief, you can also apply orthodontic wax to your braces to create a barrier between the hardware and your skin.
Altered Speech. Some patients report that braces alter the way they speak during the first few days of treatment. If this happens to you, don’t panic. Just keep talking: as you naturally adapt to your braces, you will sound like yourself in a day or two.

With these factors in mind, let’s take a look at how to make the most of your first week in braces.

Braces First Week Tips:
Begin Orthodontic Treatment on the Right Note

Most braces treatments take around 12 months to 2+ years to complete. Treatment duration is influenced by a number of things, including:

The type of malocclusion
Malocclusion severity
Anatomical factors
Patient age

In addition to these aspects, good patient habits can positively influence how quickly your braces produce results.

As a braces patient, your job is to keep your braces in working order. To do so, you must follow certain best practices and be diligent about your oral care routine. If not, you risk damaging your braces, infecting your gums, and developing cavities—all of which can create major delays in your treatment.

Follow these braces first week tips to form good habits as you start treatment:

Do Not Eat Hard, Sticky, or Crunchy Foods. Many foods can damage your braces during treatment. Eating hard foods (e.g., nuts, carrots, whole apples, etc.) can inadvertently bend wires, loosen bands, and break brackets. Sticky foods (e.g., gum, candy, etc.) can pull wires out of position and loosen bands. Crunchy foods (e.g., hard-shell tacos, chips, etc.) can loosen the brackets bonded to your teeth.
Avoid Nervous Chewing Habits. When many people are nervous or bored, they habitually chew non-food items, like pencils, pens, ice, or fingernails. All of these objects can damage your braces, so if you have been trying to quash that nail-biting habit, now is the time!
Prioritize Your Oral Hygiene. Daily brushing and flossing are always important, but your oral care routine is especially critical while wearing braces. To prevent plaque accumulation and other dental problems, plan to brush your teeth and braces 3 times a day for 3 to 5 minutes, and floss at night. After brushing and flossing, your braces should always appear shiny and clean.
Wear a Mouthguard When Playing Contact Sports. If there is a reasonable chance of someone or something colliding with your braces, you need to wear a mouthguard. One unprotected blow to a mouth with braces can lead to expensive repairs and painful injuries. Minimize this risk by wearing a mouthguard any time you participate in physical activities.

Interested in Braces? Schedule a Consultation With BHO Today!

Braces are one of the most reliable ways to achieve a flawless smile. No matter whether you struggle with crowding, open bite, underbite, or another malocclusion, braces can correct your alignment issues for a perfectly straight set of teeth.

If you are ready to improve your smile, Beverly Hills Orthodontics is the practice for you. Led by Ivy League graduate Dr. Monica Madan, BHO uses the latest technology to create the best treatment plans possible. From accelerated orthodontic measures to different types of braces, we provide our patients with different care options that maximize comfort and convenience. Contact us today to discuss your treatment plan.

Do Braces Work for Adults?

Dental braces have been part of orthodontics before the medical field was ever formally established. According to Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center, archaeologists can trace the use of braces back to ancient Egypt, or around 3100 B.C. Crude metal bands and animal fibers found on the teeth of mummies suggest ancient Egyptians valued having straight teeth in the afterlife. In later centuries, other cultures used similar braces-style appliances to treat dental alignment problems in living patients.

By the mid-19th century, orthodontics began to evolve as a professional medical field. Early orthodontists improved upon past appliances and eventually created what we know as modern braces. The system of brackets, wires, and rubber bands is the most efficient design for correcting problems like:

Dental crowding
Tooth gaps
Overbite
Underbite
Crossbite

Today’s braces are more comfortable and efficient than past models, but they follow the same basic principles.

Orthodontists glue brackets to a patient’s teeth and thread a stainless steel archwire in between each bracket. By periodically adjusting the archwire, orthodontists like BHO’s Dr. Monica Madan can gradually apply increasing pressure to move teeth. With each archwire adjustment, orthodontists steadily improve smile alignment until patients have perfectly straight rows of teeth.

Although braces are one of the oldest and most trusted tools in orthodontics, patients still have plenty of questions before undergoing treatment. Adult patients in particular tend to share some common concerns. For instance, many adult patients associate braces with younger people, which leads to questions like:

Do braces work for adults?
Are there any unique issues with adult braces?
What orthodontic options can adults choose from?

Read on to learn the answers to these questions and more!

Do Braces Work for Adults? In a Word, Yes!

While some people associate braces with younger people, braces serve as an effective treatment for patients of all ages. As long as an adult has healthy teeth and gums, braces are a viable solution for alignment problems on the path to a perfect smile.

In fact, more adults are wearing braces today than ever before. According to statistics from the American Association of Orthodontists, one in every three orthodontic patients today is over age 18. That’s an all-time high number of adult patients in the field.

Regardless of whether you are 18 or 80, braces follow the same basic principles to move teeth. With the aid of brackets, wires, and sometimes rubber bands or other appliances, orthodontists use selective pressure to correct misalignments and bite problems. This method is highly effective at all ages and can treat both simple and complex alignment cases.

Differences Between Adult Braces and Braces for Children & Teens

Now that we have established that braces do work for both adults and children, we can look at how age affects treatment specifics.

The most significant factor influencing braces treatment involves oral anatomy. Experts recommend that patients undergo orthodontic treatment as children because the face and jawbones are still growing. Growing bones are easier to work with and therefore reduce overall treatment time.

As an adult with fully formed bones and muscles, that means braces treatment can take a little longer to complete. Depending on your specific alignment issues, treatment can take anywhere from 18-36 months to finish. However, accelerated orthodontic measures can significantly reduce this time period.

Beyond physical differences, adults often have different motivations for seeking out orthodontic care. Although people of all ages can benefit from the aesthetic boost and health improvements caused by braces, adults may have unique alignment problems caused by natural aging. Similar to the way our skin naturally wrinkles over time, our teeth also move as we age. For adults, this continued tooth movement can lead to:

Worsened bite problems caused by expanding jawbones and moving teeth.
Significant bottom teeth crowding caused by poor oral habits (e.g. mouth-breathing,
tongue-thrusting, etc.), facial trauma, or decreased bone density.
Tooth gaps caused by gum issues, crowding complications, and poor oral habits.
Post-orthodontic teeth shifting caused by irregular retainer use.

Fortunately, braces are versatile enough to correct all of these problems and leave patients with healthier mouths and flawless smiles.

Braces Options

Orthodontic patients today can choose from a few different types of braces. Although all of these models use the same bracket + wire method to move teeth, they differ slightly when it comes to materials and bracket placement:

Conventional metal braces are the type of braces you are most likely to recognize. Generally made from stainless steel, today’s metal braces are much smaller and more comfortable than the braces used in decades past. Orthodontists and patients today still value conventional braces for their durability and consistent results.
Ceramic braces are like conventional braces but use ceramic, tooth-colored brackets instead of metal ones. Ceramic brackets are more inconspicuous to others and some patients find them more comfortable than metal ones. At the same time, ceramic is less durable than metal, which increases the risk of damaged brackets.
Lingual braces use metal brackets and wires like conventional braces, but they are placed on the tongue-side of teeth. As such, they are completely discreet and won’t change your appearance at all.

However, many patients find lingual braces uncomfortable and experience unpleasant side effects, like temporary lisps and mouth or tongue sores during treatment. Lingual braces also tend to move teeth at slower rates, which makes them more expensive and less efficient than other types of braces.

If you have more questions about which type of braces is the right solution for you, schedule an appointment at one of Beverly Hills Orthodontics’ four Los Angeles-area offices today!

Ready for a Perfect Smile? Contact Beverly Hills Orthodontics Today To Begin Treatment

Braces don’t just work for adults—they deliver excellent, reliable results. Whether you are 8 or 68, braces are one of the most effective ways to obtain a perfectly aligned smile.

At Beverly Hills Orthodontics, we offer braces treatments from each of our four locations, in Beverly Hills/Century City, Toluca Lake, Alhambra, or Downtown Los Angeles. Available to patients of all ages, braces can correct mild-to-severe alignment problems ranging from slight crowding to significant bite issues. Contact BHO today to learn how braces can benefit your smile!

Accelerated Osteogenic Orthodontics Could Fast Track Your Smile

Whenever we begin a new treatment plan here at Beverly Hills Orthodontics, the first question patients often have is, “How long do I have to wait until I have my perfect smile?”

We completely understand why patients ask this question. After all, orthodontic treatments not only boost oral health, they can give you newfound confidence. It’s only natural that you’re excited to see the results!

Generally speaking, orthodontic treatments like Invisalign and fixed braces usually take 1-3 years to complete. To help you get the smile you want faster, today’s orthodontists can utilize a number of tools and procedures to shorten treatment times. One of the most reliable ways to fast-track treatment is accelerated osteogenic orthodontics.

Accelerated osteo-what?

Although accelerated osteogenic orthodontics may sound like a mouthful, osteogenic treatments are easy to understand once you have someone break it down for you—and that’s exactly what we’re going to do here!

Below, we take a beginner-friendly look at what accelerated osteogenic orthodontics is, how it works, and which patients may qualify for it:

So, What Exactly is Accelerated Osteogenic Orthodontics?

The best way to introduce accelerated osteogenic orthodontics is to explain what “osteogenic” actually means. “Osteogenic” comes from two root terms:

Osteo: derives from the Greek word “osteon” and means “bone”
Genic: derives from the Greek word “genēs” and means “born” or “produced from”

Together, these roots combine to form “osteogenic”—a medical term used to describe procedures that promote new bone formation. You can simply think of accelerated osteogenic orthodontics (AOO) as a surgical way to quickly obtain great orthodontic results.

“Accelerated orthodontics” is an umbrella term used in the orthodontic field to refer to procedures and approaches that facilitate faster tooth movement. For example, accelerated orthodontic devices like OrthoPulse quicken tooth movement by shining near-infrared light onto the patient’s gums. The light naturally stimulates the jawbone, enabling quicker tooth realignment.

While OrthoPulse is a great way to quicken orthodontic treatment, AOO procedures produce even faster results thanks to the help of bone grafting materials. During the AOO procedure, an orthodontist places bone grafting materials under your gum. The material provides extra support for your teeth and allows your braces or clear aligners to move teeth at a much faster rate.

What Are the Advantages of Accelerated Osteogenic Orthodontics, and Who Is an Ideal Candidate for Treatment?

AOO treatment has been popular across the orthodontic field since the late 1990s. Minimally invasive and highly successful, orthodontists and patients frequently opt for accelerated osteogenic orthodontics for the following reasons:

Faster Results: While other accelerated orthodontic measures can reduce orthodontic treatment time by a few months, AOO procedures are much faster. Patients that undergo AOO treatment can expect a perfect smile within 3-8 months.
Can Treat Moderate-to-Severe Alignment Issues: Accelerated osteogenic orthodontics can treat mild, moderate, and severe misalignment. Normally, alignment issues like severe crowding and crossbites issues take years to resolve, but with AOO, you can experience a perfect smile within a matter of months.
Reduced Risk of Regression: Following orthodontic treatment, there is a risk of reverting to their previous position. To prevent this, orthodontists provide patients with retainers. Although AOO patients often wear retainers as well, their teeth are less likely to move thanks to the bone grafts placed during the procedure.

In addition to these benefits, one of the biggest advantages of accelerated osteogenic orthodontics is that most patients qualify for treatment. If you have healthy adult teeth and the desire to quickly correct moderate-to-severe alignment problems, chances are that you will make a great candidate for AOO.

Look and Feel Your Best Sooner

Despite the possibly intimidating name, accelerated osteogenic orthodontic treatments are nothing to be scared of. For decades, orthodontists have used AOO procedures to create patients with healthy, beautiful smiles in short time frames.

Beverly Hills Orthodontics’ own Dr. Monica Madan has years of experience performing AOO procedures to correct severe issues in a comfortable, timely manner. Often used in combination with Invisalign, accelerated osteogenic treatments allow Dr. Madan and the BHO team to more effectively meet patient needs and provide the best treatment experience possible. Call Beverly Hills Orthodontics today to learn if AOO is right for you.