Orthodontic FAQs

The honest version: placement is painless, then teeth feel tender for two or three days — soft-food territory, not misery. The same tenderness briefly follows adjustments. Modern gentle wires have made "do braces hurt" a much smaller question than it was in your day.

Typically 18 to 30 months; aligner cases often 12 to 24. Complexity sets the range, and consistency — wearing bands and aligners as directed, keeping appointments — determines whether you finish on the early or late end of it. When parents ask how long do braces take to really finish, that's the variable that matters most.

Hard, sticky, chewy: ice-chewing, caramels, hard candy, whole apples (slice them). Everything else stays on the menu. Aligner wearers skip the list entirely — trays come out for meals.

Both continue. Orthodontic mouthguards protect contact-sport smiles, and musicians adjust within a couple of weeks. Neither should delay treatment.

Annoying, not dangerous. Orthodontic wax is the overnight fix; then call us. Because we're your kids' dental office too, urgent fixes fold into a practice you can already reach — see our emergency page.