Guide to Taking Care of Braces for Kids

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If your child is wearing braces, it's important to help him/her take care of them. Proper care of the braces is crucial to getting the best outcome from them. When the braces are well-taken care of, your child's hygiene will be maintained. Apart from this, there will be no major issues that may make it necessary to take the child back to the orthodontist apart from regular checkup.

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Children may not fully appreciate the importance of braces. Thus, you need to work with them to ensure they get the most benefits from them.  Here are some tips you should know about braces for kids.

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Broken or Loose Brackets/Wires
If you notice your child's wire or bracket has become loose, get in touch with an orthodontist. In most cases, you can schedule a quick visit to tighten the loose bracket or wire back into position. Sometimes, an aggravating or protruding wire can be carefully flattened out with a blunt instrument or the back of the spoon at home.

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You should not panic if the bracket or wire breaks. Simply cover the sharp edges or broken pieces with wet cotton or wax and then see the orthodontist as soon as you can. Avoid trying to break off or bend any partially broken or loose brackets or wires. Doing this can make the situation worse and necessitate additional orthodontic work at a braces place columbia sc. Any broken pieces of the brackets or wire should be saved and carried along to the orthodontist during your appointment.

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Soreness or General Discomfort
A typical braces work is about an hour and a half or longer. Before wearing the braces Invisalign for kids on or getting them tightened, it is advisable to apply lip balm. Generally, the lips will come out dry due to keeping the mouth open for a long time.  Applying lip balm can reduce some of the general discomfort the child is bound to have during routine visits to the orthodontist.

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When the braces have been installed or tighten, the jaw may become sore. You should also expect the teeth to be sensitive to pressure and biting for two to five days. To alleviate the pain, get your child to rinse his/her mouth with warm salt-water mouthwash. The rinsing should be thorough and aggressive.  If the mouth is still sore after about five days of if the pain increases, give your child painkillers.

Follow the guide above when your child will be wearing braces.