The adhesive used to attach the braces to your teeth cures rapidly, but takes several hours to completely cure. You can eat any time after leaving our office, however, we ask that you remember the list of foods that may be harmful to your braces.
When you first get your braces, you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal. To relieve the pain, we recommend dissolving one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water. Swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for just a couple of minutes (do not swallow the saltwater).
If the pain is more severe and does not go away after rinsing, you can also try taking a pain reliever (e.g. Tylenol). It is also not uncommon for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces. We will be happy to give you some wax that you can put over the braces to lessen the tenderness. If you need some wax, please let us know.
