Living with a Brace

Wearing & Looking After your Brace/Retainer

On this page we aim to provide prospective patients with guidance on wearing and looking after their brace and/or retainer. If you have a question that is not answered on our site, please contact us.  Your question and its answer will be anonymously added to this page if we feel it would help our other patients.

The success of your orthodontic treatment will depend on your co-operation. It is therefore in the interests of all patients to read and follow these instructions carefully.

Wearing and Looking After your Brace/Retainer

1)   Do not make any attempts to remove a fixed brace because as their name suggests, they are fixed securely to your teeth and can only be removed with special instruments.

2)   All removable braces must be worn for a full 24 hours each day, the exception being when you are eating, cleaning your teeth and playing contact sports or swimming.

3)   With removable braces, we suggest that you use a mirror in order to check that all springs are placed in their correct positions when you are fitting your brace in your mouth.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          4)   During the first few days of wearing your brace, your teeth may be tender to bite with and you may also initially find eating and speaking a little difficult. Don’t worry - this is normal and the feeling should soon pass, once you get used to wearing the brace.Normally 7-10 days.

5)   It is essential that your teeth, gums and brace must be kept perfectly clean. With a fixed brace you are advised to brush your teeth after every meal in order to remove any remains of food from around the brace. The brace itself will not harm your teeth but if food is left around it, it may lead to tooth decay or gum disease. Brushing your teeth and brace will avoid the build-up of plaque.

6)   Avoid eating any sticky or very hard food such as toffees, chewing gum or rock, as this will damage or distort the brace. You should also limit the amount of fizzy and sugary drinks you have.

7)   When taking out a removable brace, always pull on the clips which are placed around the very back teeth.

8)   It is important that you look after your brace carefully. Any breakages or loss of a brace will prolong treatment and may incur charges.

9)   If you do damage your brace, contact us as soon as possible. Do not wait until your next appointment. We provide an answer-phone at weekends and evenings.An emergency appointmant will be offered within 24 hours.

10)   Active fixed braces must never be worn for long periods of time without supervision. Regular appointments are necessary to monitor your treatment.Should you miss an appointment for any reason do contact the secretary immediately to arrange a further appointment.

11)   An orthodontist doesn’t replace your own dentist, so you should continue to visit your own general dentist for routine dental treatment which may be necessary throughout your course of orthodontic treatment.

12)   We recommend that patients wearing fixed braces should use a daily fluoride mouthwash. At Grosvenor Orthodontic Clinic we recommend Colgate FluoriGuard, alcohol free mouthwash. Using a mouthwash will keep the mouth clean from plaque, help strengthen your teeth and prevent cavities.

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