Patient Information
Bracket
The small metal or ceramic attachment that is glued to the tooth.
Archwire
The wire that sits in the bracket slot and joins the brackets together.
O-Rings / Elastic Ties
These hold the archwire into the bracket slot and come in a variety of colours. Later in treatment power chain may be used instead of o-rings and this looks like a row of o-rings all joined together.
Hooks
Hooks are either attached to the wire or to some brackets. They are used to attach elastics to the braces to help move the teeth.
The parts of your braces
Breakages do occasionally happen. If a breakage occurs, is it important to inform us so the brace or plate can be repaired as soon as possible.
Please do not wait until your next scheduled appointment as breakages often take extra time to repair than available at a routine adjustment appointment.
Please tell us what part of the brace has broken so we know how urgently it needs to be repaired and how much additional time we need.
In the interim, if you have braces you will have been given some wax to place over any wires or brackets that are irritating cheeks or gums.
Breakages & Repairs
Braces are quite strong and rarely break as long as you follow our food guidelines.
You mustn’t eat foods that are sticky like lollies, chewing gum and toffee; hard like lollies, nuts and ice cubes, or chewy like crusty bread rolls, biltong and of course lollies!
Some foods just need to be cut into smaller pieces, for example apples need to be thinly sliced, raw carrots need to be grated and corn needs to be cut off the cob.
You must also have a low sugar diet to prevent your teeth from developing decay around the braces. This means no fizzy drinks, fruit juice or flavoured milk drinks. Other high sugar foods like biscuits, ice-cream and fruit (dried and fresh) should only be eaten occasionally.
What can I eat with braces?
Yes. We sell mouthguards that are made to wear when you have braces. Initially we will fit the mouthguard for you and as your teeth straighten you can remould it yourself at home.
Can I still play sports that need a mouthguard?
Yes…but usually only for a little while.
Musical instruments that are played using the mouth will need a period of adjustment after having braces fitted and again after brace removal.
We therefore advise you not to have braces fitted or removed just prior to music performances or music exams.
Do braces interfere with musical instruments played using the mouth?
