Orthodontist in Norwest & the Hills

In general, it does not hurt. However, while inserting the braces or making a major adjustment during the treatment, certain teeth may be sensitive and may cause a mild headache. You can use light analgesics to solve this problem. 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 would 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.

Avoid eating foods that are hard, chewy, crunchy or sticky. Avoiding these foods is important as it can cause you to break wires or brackets. This is not only painful, but it can prolong your actual treatment, which means having your braces for a longer period of time.

Do not eat the following: Caramel or gooey chocolate bars, nuts, gum, popcorn, chewy or hard lollies, very sticky or chunky peanut butter, minties, toffees, or hard muesli bars.

Foods that can be eaten with caution include apples and carrots if they are cut into small pieces, chewy bread like bagels need to be torn into small pieces, corn on the cob (cut corn off the cob) and chips (eat them one at a time).

It is also important to avoid chewing on hard items like pens, ice, pencils or fingernails.

Age is no barrier to consider orthodontics as an option. Agreed, a majority of the orthodontic patients are children and adolescents. Yet statistics indicate that nearly 25 percent of the orthodontic patients are adults. Adults aged between 40 and 70 have regularly availed themselves of an orthodontic treatment.

It’s not necessary. In many cases dentists recommend orthodontic treatment to their patients. There are however, many who directly approach us to benefit from orthodontics.

Yes, you can. The discomfort is only for the initial period and will not prevent you from resuming with your day-to-day activities.

We have to clinically examine you before determining at a precise treatment plan. Only then can we determine the cost. We will do this when you meet us for the first time at the consultation visit. We will offer you a variety of payment plans and financing options. For your convenience, we accept payments in cash, cheque, credit card, EFTPOS and direct debit. For more details refer to the payments section below.

• Always remember to brush your teeth after each meal
• Floss at least once a day
• Avoid foods that are sticky, chewy or hard
• Clean your retainer by brushing it gently with a toothbrush and toothpaste. You can also soak your retainer in a denture cleaner as instructed by our orthodontist. Remember to never put your retainer in boiling water or the dishwasher