Caring for your braces & Invisalign

If you have braces

• Brush after every meal — angle the bristles above and below each bracket, where plaque hides. Two minutes, gum line included.
• Floss once a day with a floss threader or water flosser. It's slower with wires; it also matters more with wires.
• Skip sticky, hard, and chewy foods — caramel, gum, ice, popcorn kernels, whole apples, hard pretzels. Most broken brackets start in the snack drawer.
• Use orthodontic wax on any bracket or wire that rubs. Dry the spot, press a pea-sized piece over it. Wax is safe to swallow.
• Wear a mouthguard for sports — ask us about a braces-friendly one; a tight custom guard from before treatment won't fit right.
• Keep every adjustment visit. Missed appointments are the #1 reason treatment runs long.

If you have Invisalign

• 20–22 hours a day, every day. Aligners only work while they're in — wear time is the whole treatment.
• Out only to eat and drink. Water is fine with aligners in; anything else (yes, including coffee) stains and warps them.
• Rinse and brush aligners with cool water and a soft brush — never hot water, which distorts the plastic.
• Case in pocket, always. Napkin-wrapped aligners end up in the trash. The case is cheaper than a replacement tray.
• Switch trays on your schedule, ideally at night, and keep your previous set as a backup.
• Be gentle around attachments — the small tooth-colored buttons grip the aligner. If one pops off, note which tooth and mention it at your next visit.

Broken or poking bracket / wire

A bracket comes loose or a wire end pokes your cheek. At home: cover the spot with wax; a poking wire can be gently nudged flat with a clean pencil eraser. If a long wire end truly won't stay covered, clean nail clippers can snip it as a last resort.

Call us within a day or two — usually a quick repair, not a crisis.

Lost or broken retainer / aligner

At home: go back to your most recent set that fits — previous aligner or old retainer — and wear it full-time so teeth don't drift while we make a replacement.

Call the same week. Teeth move fastest in the first days after something stops holding them.

Loose band or appliance

An expander, band, or other appliance feels wiggly. At home: leave it in place if it's not causing pain; save any piece that comes out completely and bring it with you.

Call us — we'll tell you whether it needs to be seen soon or can wait for your next visit.

Mouth sores or irritation

Normal in the first weeks and after adjustments. At home: warm salt-water rinses, wax over the rough spot, and a soft-food day or two. Over-the-counter pain relief is fine.

Can usually wait for your next visit — call if a sore isn't healing after two weeks.

Severe pain, swelling, or injury

Significant swelling, fever, a blow to the mouth, or a knocked-loose tooth is different — that's a dental emergency, not a braces problem.

Call us immediately — day of. If there's facial swelling affecting breathing or swallowing, go to the ER first, then call us.

Aligner won't fit after a missed day

At home: don't force a tray that won't seat. Step back to the previous aligner, wear it full-time for 2–3 days, then retry. Aligner "chewies" help it seat fully.

If it still won't fit after a few days, call — never skip ahead to the next tray.