How to Stay Comfortable After Getting Your Braces Adjusted or Tightened

After getting braces in Staten Island, you will need to visit your orthodontist periodically to get your hardware tightened. While adjustments are not considered painful, you may notice slight discomfort for a day or two following your tightening appointment. Here are some things you can do at home to stay comfortable after your orthodontist adjusts your braces.

Consume Soft Foods
Eating soft foods will help prevent dental discomfort after getting your braces tightened. Consider soups, cooked vegetables, pudding, pasta, and rice, however, if tolerable, you can eat salads, soft bread, and sandwiches. If you experience dental pain for more than a couple of days, make an appointment with your orthodontist. Persistent tooth or gum pain is typically unrelated to adjustments. Because of this, you should see your orthodontist as soon as possible.

Salt Water Rinses
Your orthodontist may recommend that you rinse your mouth with salt water for any discomfort that you may be experiencing after getting braces in Staten Island. Salt water soothes inflamed gum tissue and it also helps reduce your risk for oral infections. To rinse your mouth with salt water, simply mix a half teaspoon of table salt into a cup of warm water. After swishing the solution around your mouth, spit it out. Swallowing the salt water rinse may worsen acid reflux disease and cause nausea.

To learn more about how to stay comfortable after your adjustment appointments, call Brooklyn Orthodontics or stop by the website at online.