Misaligned teeth can cause significant oral health issues later in life, and the best way to address the problem is by installing braces. Over four million kids 18 and under have braces to achieve straight teeth. They’re among the most popular dental treatments for healthy teeth and a beautiful smile.
One of the aspects of getting braces for straighter teeth to know about is getting a braces adjustment. Tightening or adjusting the braces puts pressure on the teeth to move them into proper alignment. Your orthodontic dentist will adjust your braces to help your teeth find their place in your mouth.
The good news is that you’ve discovered this eye-opening guide of what to expect when getting your braces tightened after installation. Continue reading to get the results you deserve today!
Table of Contents
What Is the Braces Process?
The braces process is designed to help align teeth and move them into beneficial spaces for oral health and personal appearance. The process improves your smile and prevents cavities and food from getting stuck between teeth.
The process begins with a consultation at your orthodontic care clinic. The dentist will examine your teeth and jaw alignment by using an oral examination and dental X-rays. The dentist will decide if braces are ideal for your teeth and health.
Your orthodontic dentist will apply the braces to your teeth during the follow-up visit to the clinic. The best dentists will address other oral health issues like cavities before applying the braces to your teeth. After installation, you must return to the dentist to have them tightened.
How Often Do You Need a Braces Adjustment?
The best rule of thumb for getting your braces adjusted is to return to your dentist every four to six weeks. Frequent visits are necessary to check the progress of the previous adjustment.
Your visits for braces adjustments are vital to preventing setbacks with your alignment process. You’ll get your braces off sooner and enjoy a beautiful smile due to the adjustments your orthodontist makes.
The tightening process is non-invasive and features a quick recovery time. The one thing to note about adjusting your braces is the soreness from your teeth. The process will result in sore teeth when chewing your food for a few days.
Risks of Skipping Appointments
Making it to the dentist for orthodontic care is vital for your oral health when you have braces. Skipping appointments will prolong the need to wear braces and straighten your teeth. Teeth can move in ways that aren’t ideal for your health or appearance if you’re not visiting the dentist for updates and adjustments.
Skipping an appointment or two won’t ruin the process of aligning your teeth. Still, it’s best not to forget to get your braces adjusted habitually.
Advantages of Getting Braces
Braces are a lot of work and come with significant discomfort when applied and adjusted. It’s easy to lose sight of your reasoning for getting braces when you only associate them with pain and inconvenience.
The benefits extend far beyond a beautiful smile. It’s a fantastic way to improve your physical and mental health. You’ll feel more confident when you get your braces removed and see what your smile looks like for the first time.
Here’s a closer look at the advantages to remember when you’re getting braces.
1. Enhanced Appearance
Crooked teeth can make you less confident when meeting new people or taking pictures. You’re less likely to want to show off your smile to others if you’re self-conscious of how your teeth and smile look. Three out of five people in the United States hate how their smile looks.
Getting braces will make that feeling a thing of the past. Your smile will lighten up rooms, and you’ll feel confident taking photos with friends and family. The confidence boosts you feel from getting braces will translate into your interpersonal relationships.
2. Easier Oral Hygiene
Another perk of getting braces is the hygienic benefits. Caring for crooked and spaced teeth is more challenging than teeth in the ideal alignment. You’ll reduce the gaps where food particles and plaque can congregate.
Your investment into getting braces and visiting the dentist for adjustments will limit the opportunities for harmful bacteria to enter the spaces between your teeth and eat away at enamel and the tooth to create cavities.
You’ll have an easier time brushing and flossing your teeth when you complete the process of using braces to straighten your teeth.
3. Prevent Tooth Decay and Gingivitis
When you practice proper oral hygiene, you’ll prevent tooth decay and gum issues like gingivitis. You’ll limit the opportunities for plaque and harmful bacteria to congregate in your mouth.
Failure to account for the bacteria will cause painful and unsightly gum and tooth problems. They’re the leading cause of tooth loss, and you can counter them by visiting an orthodontic dentist to adjust your braces.
4. Fix Your Bite
When braces fix your tooth alignment, they limit the damage caused to your teeth during daily life. Misaligned teeth will cause malocclusions, which result in grinding and clenching of teeth.
The grinding and clenching will eventually result in chipped or damaged teeth. Getting your braces will help you counter the damage by aligning your teeth for the ideal bite. Take advantage of this benefit of orthodontic care for your future health.
5. Prevent Future Dental Injuries
Dental injuries are intimidating to think about and painful to endure. Most of these injuries occur when teeth are out of alignment and protrude from your smile.
Getting braces and making visits to adjust them is the best way to prevent these injuries. The braces will push the teeth back into proper alignment to limit the possibility of traumatic injury to your teeth.
Consider wearing a mouth guard to limit damage to your teeth when playing sports. It’s the best way to protect the work you’ve done to enjoy healthy and straight teeth.
6. Improved Speech
An overlooked advantage of getting braces is improved speech. The location of your teeth can make pronunciations more challenging. Straight teeth will allow your tongue to work as designed to enhance your speech and help you gain more confidence.
Crooked teeth can cause lisps, denting your confidence and making you less likely to want to communicate with others. You won’t need to feel self-conscious when talking after visiting an orthodontic care clinic. Your lisp will disappear after you’ve finished with your braces tightening.
7. Improved Digestion
Braces provide several benefits, but most people don’t think of digestion when weighing the reasons to get braces. Your teeth are designed to cut and grind food to prepare it for consumption. They can only function as designed if they’re aligned.
The food you’re eating will not be reduced to small pieces. The large pieces of food you’re swallowing put more pressure on your digestive system to keep up. It’s terrible for your stomach health to put more stress and strain on your intestines when eating your favorite foods.
Getting braces will help your teeth work together to process your food. After installing and adjusting braces, you can count on taking the strain off your body and allowing for efficient digestion. It’s a fantastic way to improve gut health.
8. Limit Bone Erosion
The jawbone is designed to receive and handle pressure from the teeth above it. The pressure generates bone growth to ensure a stronger jaw. In most cases, the pressure is even, allowing the teeth and jaw to gain more bone density and strength.
When teeth are out of alignment, it changes the pressure and has the potential to cause bone erosion. You can prevent bone erosion by getting braces and making consistent visits to get your braces tightened.
Tips for Braces Care
Now that you understand how often to get your braces tightened and the best benefits of visiting your orthodontic care clinic, it’s worth exploring how you can maintain your oral health while your braces are applied to your teeth.
Knowing how to care for your teeth, gums, and braces will ensure a quick process when straightening your teeth. Here’s a look at what you can do to provide the most straightforward method possible.
Watch What You Eat
Watching what you eat is essential in caring for your teeth between each braces adjustment. It’s one of the questions about orthodontics to ask after your consultation to get braces and enjoy a perfect smile.
The best approach while you have braces is to avoid eating sticky or sugary foods. These foods are more likely to get stuck in your braces, creating a challenging mess to clean. Toffee and fudge should also be avoided while you have braces to work toward the best results.
Hard candies and popcorn are also options to avoid to protect your braces and teeth. Cut raw fruits and vegetables into smaller, more manageable pieces to avoid causing damage to your braces.
Look for Damage
You’ll want to get in the habit of checking your braces for damage at the end of each day. It’s a vital step for braces maintenance, and you can spot issues to ask your orthodontist about during your following braces tightening appointment.
Run your tongue along your braces to check for anything damaged or missing. The mirror is another valuable tool to check the state of your braces when you wake up in the morning.
Pain and irritation are normal after tightening your braces, but significant pain is a sign that something is missing or damaged with the setup. Visit your orthodontist to have them look at your braces to resolve the issue.
Always Brush Your Teeth and Braces
Brushing your teeth and braces eliminates the plaque and bacteria congregating there after eating. The wires and brackets are the ideal space for food particles to get stuck, creating a buffet for the bacteria in your mouth.
The longer the food particles remain in place, the more time the bacteria have to cause damage to your enamel, gums, and teeth. It’s essential to remember to brush your teeth after each meal when you have braces.
Brush for Longer
A short brushing session isn’t enough to limit potential damage to your braces and teeth. It’s a good rule of thumb to brush for at least two minutes in the morning and at night.
Use a gentle touch to brush your teeth to prevent damage. Consider taking an extra minute to include a thorough brush around the brackets and wires to remove any plaque and food particles.
Rough brushing will irritate the gums and teeth while causing potential damage to the brackets. Shop for soft-bristled toothbrushes for the duration of the time you’re wearing braces.
Use Dental Wax
The wire used to tighten your braces and hold them in place can cause irritation in your mouth. One of the most effective ways to limit the pain and irritation is to apply dental wax to the brackets and wire to reduce sharp edges that rub against your gums and mouth.
The orthodontist will likely provide extra wax after getting your braces. If you continue to encounter issues, ask for more during your appointments for your braces adjustment.
Wear a Mouthguard
The brackets on your braces can become dangerous when playing sports. If you’re accidentally hit in the mouth, the brackets can cut you, resulting in pain and bleeding.
Buying and wearing a mouthguard is the best way to prevent an injury related to your braces. You’ll protect your teeth and the braces.
Schedule Your Next Braces Adjustment Today
Visiting the orthodontic dentist for a braces adjustment is vital to monitor the procedure’s progress and make necessary adjustments. Getting your braces tightened every four to six weeks is a good rule of thumb.
Your braces will ensure straight teeth and enhanced oral health. Use dental wax to limit cuts, and brush your teeth thoroughly after each meal to remove bacteria and food particles from your mouth.
Investing in dental care is essential for your health and self-confidence. Explore our Health and Dental Care guides to enhance your mental and physical wellness today!
Veronica Baxter is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area.
