My 6 Month Smile Experience With The Dental Studio
I have always been a bit conscious of the fact that I have crooked teeth and have always wanted straighter teeth especially as I work in the dental industry, I had previously looked into having my teeth being straightened but was told it would involve surgery and at least 2 years of braces, the surgery part put me off, so I accepted that this is how my teeth were and I would have to live with it, then along came 6 month smile, which I have been wondering about for a while, would this be an option for me?, could I have straight teeth I’ve always wanted but without the surgery, but for one reason or another I didn’t look into it any further for quite a while, finally in February I got my act together and made a 30 minute appointment to see if it was even a feasible option for me.
I then went on to have an appointment with the dentist, who took impressions, did some charting and various measurements were taken, I also had the opportunity to discuss and confirm what would be achievable and what I could expect, so yes this was a suitable option for me to be able to go ahead and have straighter teeth.
At the beginning of March I was fitted with a brace on my upper teeth, for the first 24 to 48 hours after the fitting of the brace my teeth felt a little sore and I felt a lot of pressure from the brace on my canine and lateral teeth the most. I would say yes, there is some level of discomfort but not painful, after 48hrs the pressure eases and apart from the bulk in my mouth I don’t realise it’s there.
Cleaning is quite tricky and I would advise anyone to allow themselves an extra 5 minutes when cleaning your teeth with a brace on, I was advised to use Te-pe brushes or super floss to help with the cleaning of my teeth, this would keep my gums pink and healthy. Personally I found I got on better with the super floss, I could poke the floss through the gaps and then use it like normal floss, to remove it, pull it out the side, the brushes I struggled to get o with I kept stabbing myself in the gums with and as my teeth were on the move the gaps changed in size.
Eating – I do think about what I eat a bit more, at the moment I can’t bite into apples, crusty bread anything where you bite and pull. One, I worry a bracket will come off my teeth, Two, having just had the brace fitted my teeth aren’t comfortable to be able to bite into an apple and pull.
By the second day the inside of my mouth (soft tissues)had became quite sore, this was more uncomfortable for me than the brace, which was now not so noticeable to me, so now it was necessary to cover the brackets with ortho wax. This I discovered was an art in itself, various friends who have had orthodontics before me all had advise, but for me I found the best way was to warm the wax slightly so it was pliable squeeze it into a little disc shape and push it over the bracket, this gave me instant relief, and 24hrs later my soft tissues are a lot more comfortable.
My tips for your first few weeks of wearing your braces.
– Don’t wait like I did, wondering if something might be suitable for you, get an appointment to see if the 6 month smile or another system could be an option for you, The Dental Studio offer free appointments with their Treatment Coordinator who can go over all the option and costs that would suit you.
– Take a tooth brush and super floss or Te-pe (whichever is best for you)with you in your hand bag or coat pocket, things do get caught round the brackets easily, and it’s always handy and less embarrassing to have a toothbrush with you.
– Don’t eat anything you have to bite into and pull, you don’t want to loosen a bracket.
– Don’t wait until your soft tissues get sore before you apply ortho wax; put it on within 5-6 hrs at least after having your brace fitted.
– The first 24 – 48 hours can be the most uncomfortable time after having the brace fitted or your bands changed, hang in there it doesn’t last and it will defiantly be worth it.
