If your teen is like a lot of other adolescents, their dentist will refer them to an orthodontist at some point to get braces. Even though braces are an excellent way to help a young person's teeth straighten to a more uniform appearance, a lot of teens are apprehensive about the process. To further exacerbate the situations, braces do involve a short adjustment period, so you may hear that your teen's mouth hurts on more than one occasion. If you have an angsty teen that is frustrated with their new braces, there are a few things you can do to help them through.
Encourage them to munch on softer foods and avoid crunchy stuff.
Most teens won't need much of an excuse to stick with things like ice cream or jello when you want them to. And, when a teen first gets braces, they really should try to munch on softer foods for the first few days. This will give them time to adjust to chewing with the new braces without putting stress on their teeth. Encourage them to steer clear of things like crunchy chips or really chewy foods.
Help them apply wax to the brackets to protect soft tissue.
Wax for braces is applied to the individual brackets so the edges of the piece are not directly rubbing the lips or tongue. Your orthodontist will provide you with this wax in the beginning because it can really help alleviate some of that initial discomfort. Help your teen generously apply the way to the brackets that are causing them discomfort. The wax will naturally wear away so it will have to be reapplied frequently. Therefore, you may have to go back to the orthodontist to get more. If you run out, you can use small bits of food-grade wax to achieve the same thing.
Show them how to use salt water to help alleviate inflammation.
Brackets that get installed on the teeth are fabricated with rounded edges to help deter any discomfort when they brush against the lips or tongue. However, these foreign objects can still cause some level of discomfort in the first few days. If there is some swelling or redness in areas close to the brackets, instruct your child to rinse out their mouth with lukewarm saltwater. The salt helps to relieve some of the irritation and swelling. As these spots toughen up, the pain and irritation will subside.
To learn more about braces, contact an orthodontist office like Jacqueline G Rosen Orthodontics.
Our oral surgery and general dental website offers important information on how to prevent dry socket following a tooth extraction. After getting your tooth pulled, a protective blood clot develops over the extraction site. Many of our blog posts explain how this protective clot helps promote healing after an extraction.
You'll learn that if the clot is accidentally dislodged, dry socket may occur, which can raise your risk for infection and heavy bleeding. We'll provide you with important tips on how to prevent this by avoiding smoking and drinking through a straw. You'll also learn that swishing water around your mouth should be avoided for a couple of days following your extraction because doing so creates a suction that may dislodge your clot, leading to dry socket.