An important part of your orthodontic treatment with braces, is visiting your orthodontist regularly for adjustments. If you are going to attend your first adjustment appointment at Langley Orthodontics, here is what you can expect.
Braces need to be adjusted throughout your treatment in order to gradually move your teeth into their corrected positions. Which is why you will need to frequently attend adjustment appointments at your orthodontist's office. It won't take long to get used to attending these appointments, and they will soon seem like a normal part of your schedule. That said, we know that your first adjustment appointment may feel a little intimidating.
Our team at Langley Orthodontics want you to feel relaxed about your first adjustment appointment, so here is what you can expect to happen when you visit us for a braces adjustment:
- First the elastics that hold your archwire on to the brackets of your braces will be removed.
- Your archwire will be removed next.
- Once the elastics and archwire have been removed, your orthodontist will examine your teeth to assess how your treatment is going.
- If the orthodontist discovers that any parts of your braces are broken they will be replaced at this point.
- Then your new archwire and elastics will be put in place. (This step may be a little painful if it's your first adjustment appointment, but future adjustments should feel less uncomfortable.)
- Once the new archwire and elastics are in place you should tell your orthodontist if anything is poking or causing you discomfort. Don't be shy, your orthodontic team wants your braces to feel as comfortable as possible and will be happy to fix anything that's causing you discomfort.
- And that's all there is to an adjustment appointment! Now you just book your next adjustment appointment with us and you're ready to continue on with the rest of your day.
It's important to note that following an adjustment appointment it's not unusual to feel some discomfort, but it should wear off after a few days. If you're a little sore after your braces adjustment try icing your face periodically, or take an over-the-counter painkiller, and stick to soft foods until your mouth feels better.