Braces: Do's & Don'ts

The below information is great for times when you can't reach us for advice, like weekends, public holidays or evenings. Perhaps you are on holiday, and your brace bracket breaks- Do NOT panic if you have an orthodontic emergency; we will do our best to see you as soon as possible but in the meantime...

◘ DON'T PANIC if you have an orthodontic emergency. Stay calm if a bracket has become loose or the wire has snapped. Do not try to mend it yourself as this may cause further discomfort in your mouth.

✔️ DO contact us ASAP (if you experience an orthodontic emergency at the weekend, follow the above step until the next working day).

◘ DON'T use your teeth as tools. Do not treat them like scissors, pillars or hooks. This will cause damage to the wires and brackets. Do not bite on hard objects such as pencils, pens, plastic or open bottles with your teeth.

✔️ DO brush and floss your teeth twice daily (after meals if you can to ensure food has been removed from your braces). Do take extra care of your braces and try not to apply too much pressure to the teeth when brushing.

◘ DON'T eat foods that will stain your teeth. You do not want nasty stains when your braces are removed; all of your hard work will be undone! Avoid sugary foods and fizzy drinks, as well as chewy sweets and crunchy food.

✔️ DO cut foods such as vegetables and fruit into smaller pieces that are more manageable- you don't have to cut these foods out altogether. Do try to be more mindful and remember that you won't have to cut out hard, sticky, chewy foods forever- you will thank yourself later!

◘ DON'T miss your orthodontic appointments! It's important that our team sees you for checkups to check your progress and make adjustments.

We are here to guide you on your smile journey, so please contact us if you have any questions about braces or are thinking about treatment. We hope the above 'Do's and Don'ts' will help you if you need a little reminder. The best thing to remember is to stay calm if you have any discomfort on days when the practice is closed/holidays. Contact the practice ASAP and we will book you in. See you soon!

Give us a call: 028 9266 3414

Lisburn Ortho Opening Hours:

Monday 8:30 am–4 pm

Tuesday8:30 am–4 pm

Wednesday 8:30 am–4 pm

Thursday 8:30 am–4 pm

Friday 8:30 am–1 pm

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

Monday 8:30 am–4 pm