Small habits. Better finish.

01The first week

It gets easier by day four.

Teeth feel tender for two or three days after braces go on, after an adjustment, or when you change to a new aligner. This is the pressure doing its job, and it fades as the ligaments adapt.

• 01

  Soft food, no apology

  Pasta, eggs, yogurt, smoothies, soup, mashed anything. Cold foods help. Cut fruit and bread into small pieces instead of biting into them.

• 02

  Wax on the rough spots

  Brackets can rub the inside of the lips and cheeks while the skin toughens up. Dry the bracket, press a pea of wax over it. You leave with wax, and we always have more.

• 03

  Pain relief, if you want it

  Over-the-counter pain relief taken before a long adjustment appointment, or on the evening after, is fine when appropriate for you. Warm salt-water rinses soothe irritated cheeks.

• 04

  Speech settles

  Aligners and expanders change how the tongue moves for a few days. Reading aloud speeds it up.

02Eating with braces

Almost everything, with two rules.

Brackets are glued to enamel, and the glue is designed to give way rather than damage the tooth. That makes it strong enough for normal eating and weak enough that certain foods will pop it off.

• 01

  Nothing hard

  Ice, hard candy, nuts, popcorn kernels, corn on the cob, whole apples, and pizza crust bitten straight on. Cut, slice, and chew with the back teeth.

• 02

  Nothing sticky

  Caramel, taffy, gummy candy, and chewing gum with sugar pull at brackets and wires and hide in places a brush cannot reach.

• 03

  Drink water between sugary drinks

  Sodas and sports drinks sit against brackets and leave marks when the braces come off. Rinse with water, and keep sugary drinks to mealtimes.

• 04

  Aligner wearers: trays out to eat

  Anything other than water goes in with the trays out. Rinse, brush if you can, and put them straight back in. Twenty to twenty-two hours a day is what keeps you on schedule.

03Brushing and flossing

Two minutes, three times, around every bracket.

Plaque collects along the gumline and around brackets. Left there for months it leaves permanent pale marks on the enamel, exactly where the bracket used to be. Brushing well is what keeps the finished smile as white as the rest of the tooth.

• 01

  Angle the brush

  Above the brackets tilting down, below the brackets tilting up, then along the gumline. A soft brush or an electric brush both work.

• 02

  Floss with a threader or a water flosser

  Floss threaders take the floss under the wire. A water flosser is faster and most families end up preferring it.

• 03

  Fluoride, every night

  A fluoride rinse or a prescription toothpaste before bed strengthens the enamel around the brackets. We tell you which one suits you.

• 04

  Aligners: brush the trays too

  Cool water and a soft brush, no toothpaste, which scratches the plastic and clouds it. Never hot water.

04Retainers

Nightly, for as long as you want the result.

Teeth move for life. The retainer is what keeps them where Dr. Haykani placed them, and your initial retainers are included in your treatment fee.

• 01

  Wear it as she tells you

  Some cases need full-time wear at first, most settle into nights only. She sets your schedule based on how your teeth are likely to move, not a generic rule.

• 02

  Case, never napkin

  Most retainers are lost in restaurant napkins and school lunch trays. If it is not in your mouth, it is in its case.

• 03

  Clean it cool

  Rinse after each use and brush with cool water. Denture tablets are fine now and then. Heat, including dishwashers and hot cars, warps it.

• 04

  Bring it to every visit

  She checks the fit at follow-ups. If it still works, she says so, rather than replacing it.

• 01 A wire is poking my cheek

  Press it flat with the eraser end of a pencil or a clean cotton swab, then cover the end with orthodontic wax. Sugar-free gum works if you are out of wax. Call or text and we will clip it, usually the same day.

• 02 A bracket came loose

  If it is still on the wire, leave it and cover it with wax so it does not rub. If it comes off entirely, keep it in a bag and bring it in. Avoid the foods that loosened it, and let us know so we can rebond it and keep treatment on track.

• 03 I lost an aligner

  Move to the next tray in the series if you were within a few days of changing anyway. Otherwise, wear the previous tray so the teeth hold position, and text us. Never go without one for more than a day.

• 04 My retainer broke or is lost

  Text us the same day. Teeth begin to drift within days without a retainer, and a quick scan is all it takes to make a new one. If you have an older retainer that still fits, wear it in the meantime.

• 05 My teeth ache after an adjustment

  Normal for two or three days. Soft food, cold drinks, and over-the-counter pain relief when appropriate for you. If it is still sharp after a week, call us so Dr. Haykani can check the pressure.

• 06 A rubber band or spacer fell out

  Spacers that fall out within a day or two of your appointment usually mean the space is ready. Elastics you replace yourself from the pack we gave you. If you are unsure which is which, send us a photo.

• 07 My expander key turn will not go

  Do not force it. Skip the turn, note the day, and text us. Dr. Haykani will tell you whether to resume or pause, and adjust the schedule so nothing is lost.

• 08 Something hurt and I am not sure what to do

  Text a photo to (661) 425-0559. You hear back the same day, every time, and the visit is included in your fee.

More resources