Prepare for Braces UK

Seeing a hygienist before braces are fitted is often recommended in the UK where there is visible plaque, bleeding gums or difficulty brushing, because fixed brackets make plaque much harder to remove once they are in place. Gum inflammation left untreated tends to worsen during treatment and can cause swelling, bleeding and sometimes a pause in tooth movement while the gums recover. A hygiene visit is also a chance to practise interdental cleaning before you need to do it daily. Your orthodontist or general dentist will say whether it is necessary in your case.

Active decay, untreated gum disease and unstable restorations normally need to be dealt with by your general dentist before a brace is fitted. Bonding a bracket over a cavity traps the problem underneath and makes it harder to treat later, which is why UK orthodontic practices routinely ask for a recent dental check-up before starting. Once the necessary fillings are complete and the mouth is stable, treatment can usually proceed as planned. Tell your orthodontist about any outstanding work, because a filling on a tooth that will carry a bracket may need doing first.

Soft foods are easiest for the first few days after braces are fitted, while the teeth feel tender and biting is awkward. Soup, pasta, scrambled eggs, yoghurt, rice, mashed potato, smoothies, soft fruit and well-cooked vegetables all work well. Cut food into smaller pieces and chew with the back teeth rather than biting into anything at the front. Avoid hard, sticky and chewy items such as crusty bread, toffee, boiled sweets, nuts and ice, which can loosen brackets, and limit sugary drinks because plaque gathers easily around brackets.

Allow around an hour to ninety minutes for a full fixed brace on both arches. The teeth are cleaned and dried, an etch and bonding agent is applied, each bracket is positioned individually and cured, and the first archwire is placed and tied in. Nothing about it hurts, though holding your mouth open that long is tiring and your lips will feel dry. If separators or molar bands are needed, there is usually a shorter appointment a week or so beforehand. Aligner starts are quicker, since the appointment is mostly attachment bonding and showing you how to seat and remove the trays.

There is no need to take anything beforehand, because the fitting itself is not painful and pre-medicating achieves nothing. Soreness begins some hours later as the teeth start to respond to the wire, peaks over the first two or three days, and settles within about a week. Paracetamol or ibuprofen taken as directed on the packet is the usual approach at that point, assuming they suit you. Soft food for the first few days does more good than most people expect, and the same pattern repeats in a milder form after each adjustment.

Interdental brushes are the single most useful item, since a normal toothbrush cannot clean under the wire. Add orthodontic wax, a fluoride toothpaste, and a soft-bristled brush you are happy to replace often, because brackets wear brushes out quickly. A travel brush kept in a bag or locker makes cleaning after lunch realistic rather than aspirational. Stock a few days of soft food such as pasta, eggs, soup and yoghurt for the week of the fitting. Skip whitening toothpaste, because it only reaches the exposed enamel and can leave a visible outline once the brackets come off.