Braces are often the go-to method for getting the alignment of both the teeth and your jaw corrected. They aren’t just a one-and-done sort of thing though. Once they’ve been applied, you’ll have to return for adjustment appointments roughly every four to eight weeks. Do you know what to expect?
How It Works
Do you know what part of your braces is actually causing your teeth to move? It’s the archwire. If you stop to think about it, it makes sense. The brackets are fixed to your teeth, and the elastics are just meant to connect the archwire to the brackets. The archwire is what applies the force to move the teeth. As they move, the archwire becomes loose, hence the need for your braces to be tightened periodically. If you don’t get them tightened, the archwire will only be effective to a certain point. Beyond that, it would be useless.
The Process
After you’ve arrived at Stellar Orthodontics, checked in, and been taken back for your appointment, the first thing that will happen is that your elastics will be removed, followed by the archwire. From there, Dr. Carver or Dr. Tori will examine your teeth and the progress they’ve made. Then, the archwire will be replaced or reapplied to the brackets, as will the elastics. If you wanted to try a different color of elastics for your braces, this is your chance to do so.
The Aftermath
Once your braces have been adjusted, it’s pretty normal to feel some level of discomfort. That’s because your teeth are being encouraged to move by the braces. They’re literally prompting your teeth and jaw bones to mold and reconstruct themselves a little bit at a time, so some discomfort is to be expected. That said, the discomfort shouldn’t include archwire poking your cheek or anything. If it does, that’s definitely something that you need to tell Dr. Carver and Dr. Tori.
Knowing what to expect from orthodontic appointments is never a bad thing. It can go a long way towards preparing you for them mentally and enabling you to prepare for them physically. Once you’ve had one or two adjustments, you should have a pretty good feel for what to expect going forward. Make sure you attend each appointment. That will be key to getting your braces taken off sooner rather than later.
Braces can be a bit pricey. See how we can help you make them more affordable with our in-house financing options.