All the appointments, consultations and measurements have been made. The wait is nearly over and the long-anticipated goal of getting your child fitted with braces is nearly at hand. While necessary, this approaching appointment may create a fair bit of nervousness and trepidation as most people don’t see an orthodontist for a fitting very often.

Read this post to understand more about a braces application, what to expect from this straightforward procedure and some helpful tips. Through a basic understanding of what a fitting involves, anxieties all around will likely be calmed and spirits raised. After all, a perfect smile is well worth the time and effort.

Be and Feel Prepared Before the Appointment

1. First of all, help your child feel as comfortable as possible. Braces can create some temporary, minor inflammation and discomfort, so if possible make a simple pain reliever like aspirin available to take right before the fitting.

2. In order to avoid extra trips to the orthodontist, it is necessary to avoid a rather long list of foods, some of which are snack-food staples. Foods to avoid include:

• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Hard or chewy candies and foods
• Any moderately hard foods

3. Make sure to schedule in advance a regular dental exam and cleaning.

4. Before leaving for the fitting, take an extra few minutes for some thorough cleaning by flossing and brushing.

5. Take a minute to snap some photos. Pictures from before the fitting and from after the braces have been removed will be an interesting family momento.

Know What A Fitting Involves

First up during the actual fitting process will be a general cleaning. This will be followed by a drying process so teeth will be ready for the next step in the process, an application of a dental adhesive. This is applied to hold the brackets which are fitted onto teeth in the next step. After each tooth has its bracket, archwires will be threaded through each bracket – one for each upper bracket and one for each bottom one.

A typical application takes as little as 15 minutes. As braces are so prominent when smiling or laughing, choose some purely cosmetic colored elastic bands to make the new hardware a little easier on the eyes. While the tough part is certainly over, there are some key post-fitting items to keep in mind as the wait for a perfect smile begins.

A Post-Appointment Checklist

It is not uncommon for one’s mouth and teeth to be a bit sore for up to a week after a braces application. A pain-reliever like aspirin or ibuprofen can help greatly with this kind of discomfort. To be as prepared as possible, ask your San Antonio Orthodontist for some orthodontic wax for aid in avoiding any mouth sores and relieving pain from any poking and prodding metal.

Perhaps the most important post-application tip to remember is to diligently avoid hard or overly chewy foods such as those listed above, as this can damage or loosen parts of the braces and necessitate another trip to the orthodontist. Some even go so far as to clear out the pantry of these items to remove any temptation.

You can now be confident that your San Antonio Orthodontist did a great job and that the new braces will gradually but assuredly do their job in providing the blessing of a beautiful and shining smile for a lifetime of joy and laughter.