Getting braces put on your teeth does not hurt, and does not require Novocain injections or anything painful. For a full description of the process, read Braces Basics: When the Braces Go On.

of patients will adapt to the appliance within 2-7 days. It will take a few days to adapt to having a device in your mouth during sleep. The appliance will not hurt the teeth. If your teeth are sore after initial use, Dr. Parker can easily adjust it for your comfort.

Yes, at first they do. For me, it felt like I had been hit in the teeth with a baseball -- but everyone's experience is different. Your teeth will ache to some extent and your gums will probably get sore in specific places. This is because your teeth are not used to the pressure, and your cheeks are not used to the metal or ceramic rubbing against them. After wearing braces for a few weeks, the pain and discomfort begin to diminish.

Most patients experience a mild form of pain following the placement of appliances and after most wire adjustments. The pain most closely resembles the feeling of bruised teeth. Consider the fact that we are asking those teeth to move through bone. In order for that to happen, the bone goes through some plastic movements (remodeling), very similar to that of a typical healing process.

No, most people do not experience any discomfort when removing the braces. Some people's teeth are sensitive to cold air during the removal procedures.

Discomfort results from the teeth moving through the bone to their new positions. Technology advances provide much gentler forces which have greatly reduced tooth soreness. Most of the time, Tylenol or warm salt water rinses will ease any discomfort.

According to a recent ArchWired.com poll, most people begin see changes in their teeth in the first 2 to 6 weeks of treatment.

Braces use steady, gentle pressure over time to move teeth into their proper positions. They don't look like they're doing much just sitting there. but in fact, every moment or your orthodontic treatment, there's something happening in your mouth. Something good for you. The brackets we place on your teeth and the main archwire that connects them, are the two main components.The bracket is a piece of specially shaped metal or ceramic that we affix to each tooth.

First, rinse with warm water a couple of times to dislodge any food particles. You can also use a rubber-tipped gum massager to dislodge any particularly stubborn particles that are badly stuck in your brackets. Now you can use a small amount of toothpaste and brush your teeth. It is best to use circular, vibrating motions around the gum line. Angle your toothbrush above and below the brackets. Scrub each surface of every tooth with 10 strokes of the toothbrush.

It's a little tricky at first. You must thread the floss under the arch wire between each tooth, floss under the gumline, then remove it. Repeat for each tooth. At first it will take about 15 minutes to floss all of your teeth, but with practice you will get faster and more efficient at doing it. It is important to floss EVERY NIGHT. Even if you use a Waterpik device, you should still floss.

A 11. Braces consist of brackets (mini-handles) bonded (glued) on to most of the 12 or 14 teeth in each jaw. A thin highly flexible wire is fastened to each bracket on each tooth. Suppose a tooth is incorrectly positioned; let us assume it is a tooth that is depressed inwardly and we want to bring it more forward. When we fasten (attach) the wire to all the teeth with brackets the wire flexes in to attach to the depressed tooth.