Will my braces be painful?

Your teeth may ache a little for the first few days after your brace has been placed on your teeth but this settles down quickly. You may take a painkiller to help but not everyone needs this.

It does not hurt to have the brace fixed to your teeth. The fixed brace is simply glued onto the outside of your teeth once they have been polished. It takes time to do this and we will give you help to understand how to look after the brace and keep your teeth clean.

Will the brace damage my teeth?

Damage to your teeth while wearing a brace can occur in two ways:

1. Sugar, in food and drink, can cause decay around the brace. This is seen as small white marks around the brace. You should avoid sugar as much as possible to protect your teeth.
2. Root resorption can occur during orthodontic tooth movement. This can happen as the teeth are moved by the brace and can be seen on X-ray as a slight shortening of the root length. It is rare but if it does happen the damage is small and does not affect the long-term health of the teeth.

What about eating?

You should be careful about the things you bite and chew. Sugary foods and drinks will damage your teeth and can leave white marks on them once the brace is removed. Hard and chewy things may break or damage the brace and may make it uncomfortable. It will also stop working and so your treatment will take longer. Have a look at the instruction leaflet for fixed braces.

What do I do if the brace is broken and hurting me? 

You were given some wax at the start of treatment and this should be squashed over the brace to protect your cheek, lip or tongue. If your next appointment is quite soon it is probably worth waiting until then when your orthodontist can repair the damage. Alternatively you can telephone the practice for advice and help. It may be appropriate to see you quite soon to fix the problem.

What do I do if I lose my brace or retainers?

You will need new ones made so contact the practice and arrange for this to be done. The NHS will make a charge to replace your brace or retainer. You will be advised what this is at your appointment. You must pay this before the new brace is made. You will be asked to complete a regulation 9 form which we will send the Forth valley Health Board and they will decide whether or not you will receive any refund.

Can I have my brace taken off when my teeth look straight?

The front teeth can look quite straight early in treatment but this does not mean that your braces are ready to be taken off. It is important to make all your teeth fit together as well as possible so that your bite works well and your teeth have the best chance of staying straight.

What happens at the adjustment appointments?

The orthodontist will check your brace and teeth, measure the progress and decide what needs to be done next. An adjustment will be made and you will feel the brace working a little harder for the next day or two. A new appointment will be made for you to return.

Can I get new retainers?

Yes, but the NHS will not pay for them. We can make new retainers and currently we charge £60 per retainer or £100 for both upper and lower at the same time.

How long will I need to wear retainers?

As long as possible. We recommend that generally the retainers are worn every night for one year. This gives your teeth a good chance to settle into their new positions. However, if you stop wearing your retainers your teeth may move back towards where they came from. 

What happens if I miss an appointment?

You should contact the practice to arrange another appointment. However, your treatment will take longer and will not work as well as planned. It is very important to attend regularly so that the brace can be checked and adjusted. Patients who attend for all their appointments and don’t break their brace will have a better result in a shorter period of time.

If you cannot attend please advise us as soon as possible. Your appointment can then be given to someone else. You can telephone or E-mail.

Stirling   01786 475997 

[email protected] 

Falkirk   01324 621130 [email protected]