After you get your appliance, you might feel a little sore and your teeth may be tender to biting for 3-5 days. You can take Advil®/Tylenol® to ease the discomfort. Your gums and tongue may become irritated for a few days, as you get used to your appliance and it may take a few days to get used to talking with it.
Care Instructions
- In order to gain maximum benefit from your night brace, it must be worn 12-14 hours per day.
- You should be wearing your night brace all the time at home: doing homework, watching TV, on the computer, reading, playing video games, etc. and of course, sleeping.
- Don’t wear it while playing or riding your bike, etc.
- If you wear your elastics with your night brace, replace them every day.
- Don’t bend it—it could break if it’s bent backwards or forced into a different shape.
- Keep it clean.
- Always attach the appliance to the teeth before you connect the neck strap or head cap.
- When removing the headgear, disconnect the neck strap or head cap first and keep the inner bow away from your eyes.
- You can use Vaseline®, a cotton pad or a soft microfibre cloth on your chin and forehead, to keep your skin from getting irritated.
- Please bring your headgear to every appointment so we can check the fit.
- Hard foods: popcorn, nuts, ice cubes and hard candies
- Sticky foods: caramel, sugary gum, beef jerky, jujubes and licorice
- Avoid chewing on pencils and fingernails
- Cut apples, carrots and any other hard fruits or vegetables into small pieces before eating them
- Pizza crust and meat on bones
- Break chips into small pieces