Living with Braces

NHS guidance says braces may feel strange to start with and your teeth may feel sore for a few days after fitting. Soft food and painkillers may help then. A BOS leaflet calls slightly sore teeth common for 3 to 5 days after first fitting and after each adjustment; another advises checking your braces regularly for bent or loose parts, without fiddling. As non-urgent advice, NHS guidance says to contact whoever is treating your braces about teeth still painful more than a few days after fitting or an adjustment, very red, swollen or painful gums, or broken braces.

Each part of daily care has its own page. Cleaning around a fixed brace, including between the teeth and under the brace, is covered in our guide to cleaning your teeth with braces.

A BOS leaflet says your diet will need to change with braces, so you do not damage your teeth or the brace. Foods to avoid or cut up are on our page about eating with braces.

Comfort with a fixed brace has its own page: what guidance says to expect after fitting and adjustments, what can help, and when to contact whoever is treating you. See discomfort with braces.

Brace repairs between appointments have their own page: what to do meanwhile, who to contact and the effect on treatment time. See a broken bracket or wire.

Enamel protection during braces covers what decalcification is, how its risk can be lowered and what follows once the brace is off. If you notice marks on your teeth, show them to a dentist; more is on our page about white marks after braces.