Braces

Life with Braces in Mesa, AZ

Arroyo Family Dental is here to make you smile, whether you’re in need of a simple exam and cleaning or are interested in straightening your teeth with orthodontic care. Dr. Arroyo offers traditional braces and in-house clear aligners, both of which straighten teeth, just in different ways. Once you and Dr. Arroyo have determined the best care approach to meet your needs, you’ll begin treatment and start your journey to a new smile.

Eating with Braces

When you have braces, you can eat a normal, healthy diet, with two important factors to keep in mind:

  • First, food loves to get stuck in and around the braces, so you’ll need to brush after every meal. Sticky food is harder to remove and will take more time.
  • Second, braces are not permanent and are made to come off eventually. If you eat hard foods on your front teeth, you will break off the brackets, complicating and delaying your treatment. If you want to eat a carrot for example, you will need to cut it up first and then use your back teeth to chew. The back teeth have bands placed on them and are harder to break off. 

So, eat what you want while using common sense. Just be prepared to brush a lot and be careful with the hard things.

Oral Hygiene with Braces

Oral hygiene is vital while wearing braces because it is much more difficult to clean your teeth. While wearing braces, most decalcification and decay happens in between the teeth and on the part of the tooth between the gum line and the bracket. Extra care should be given to floss your teeth either with floss threaders or by using the platypus-type floss picks made for people wearing braces. 

When brushing, extra attention should be given to the area between the brackets and gum line. An electric toothbrush is an excellent way to improve your oral health care and makes cleaning the braces much easier. A water pic is also a great tool to help clean your teeth while you make your smile beautiful.

Braces tend to trap food every time you eat, so brushing and flossing after every meal is important. It may seem tedious, but trust us—it’s worth it!

Dealing with Discomfort

Soreness is a part of wearing braces and moving teeth. You will most likely feel sore the first few days after each tightening of your braces. Your lips will be a little sore, especially the ones that rub on the brackets. Use wax as needed to give relief to your lips until they callus a bit and can handle the brackets. 

Occasionally, a wire may stick out of the last bracket and poke your cheek. If that occurs, please contact our office to have it trimmed.

Ensuring Your Success

You are the most important factor in achieving a beautiful smile. Compliance is key, so if you have aligners, wear them at least 22 hours a day. You also have the advantage of having your aligners made right in the office, so if you lose, one we can replace it with in 24 hours.

If you have braces, be careful with eating so you don’t break any brackets, and wear your elastics as directed. You’ll also need to visit our Katy dental office once a month or so, so we can make adjustments and monitor your progress. 


Questions? The Arroyo Family Dental team is here for you! 

Just give us a call and we’ll help in any way we can. After all, we’re here to make you smile!

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Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

10:00 am-7:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-2:00 pm

Saturday:

8:00 am-2:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed