Dr. Vidya Bettagere isnt just moving her patients teeth into alignment. Shes creating a lasting, positive impact on each persons self-esteem and confidence. She enjoys getting monthly updates on patients lives and watching their journey through orthodontic care. Her favorite moment when she gets to show a patient the before and after photos. They love their new smile so much, they cant stop showing it!

Don't worry, you'll be eating popcorn and snacking on potato chips again in no time! But before you can return to enjoying some of the treats you love, you need to be sure to avoid any foods that could damage your new appliances.

When you first get your braces, you may notice your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal, and we promise it wont last forever! To alleviate the pain, we recommend dissolving one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water. Swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for a couple minutes and do not swallow the saltwater.If the pain worsens and remains after saltwater rinsing, you can also try taking a pain reliever. Your lips, cheeks, and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces. We can give you some wax to put over the braces to lessen the tenderness.

If your teeth begin feeling a little loose, don't worry; this is normal! Your braces must first loosen your teeth to move them into the right position. Once your teeth have been repositioned, they will no longer be loose.

The wires and bands on your braces may come loose. If this happens, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can check and repair your appliance. If any piece of your appliance comes off, be sure to save it and bring it to the office with you.You can temporarily repair the loose wire by using the back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil to carefully and gently push the wire back into place. If the loose wire is causing irritation to your lips or cheeks, put wax or a wet cotton ball over the broken wire to relieve the pain.

Damaged appliances can make your treatment process longer, so be sure to take care of all your appliances. Your teeth and jaw can only move into their correct positions if you consistently wear the rubber bands, headgear, retainer, or other appliances prescribed by your doctor.

We have great news for athletes: You can still play sports even while undergoing orthodontic treatment! If you do play sports, it's recommended that you wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth and your appliance. Let your doctor know if you need help finding the right mouthguard for the best protection.In case of a sports emergency, be sure to immediately check your mouth and appliance for damage. If you notice any loose teeth or appliance damage, please contact our office right away. You can temporarily relieve the discomfort by applying wax or rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater.

When you have braces, it's very important to brush and floss after every meal in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your orthodontic treatment. If youre unsure which products are best for your teeth and appliance, we are happy to help you choose the right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss.

Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on track. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire.

After you alleviate any immediate pain or discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time for us to repair and examine the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may disrupt your treatment plan.

When you first get braces, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and bite tenderness in your teeth for three to five days. Stick to a soft food diet until your teeth do not hurt when you chew. Irritated gums and other sore spots can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater mouthwash:

The lips, cheeks, and tongue may become irritated for one to two weeks as they learn a new posture and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!

Using a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers, try to put your wire back into place. It is okay to use a piece of floss to tie the wire into place: tie the floss around the bracket in place of the missing, colored O-ring. If you cannot reposition the wire comfortably, and covering the end with wax doesn't help, as a last resort you can use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If the end of the wire is still sharp, place wax on it.

Sometimes discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please follow our instructions. If the facebow (metal piece) is bent, please call our office for assistance. The headgear should hurt less the more you wear it, so be sure you get in the prescribed number of hours.