Skip to content
  • Call / Text (310) 785-0770
  • Payment Calculator
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • In The Press
Get $1,000 Off
free consult
BHO White Logo
  • Our Practice
    • Who We Are
    • What Sets Us Apart
    • Meet Dr. Madan
    • Meet Our Team
    • Advanced Technology
    • In The Press
    • Patient Reviews
    • Community Events
  • What We Do
        • Invisalign®
          • About Invisalign
          • Invisalign For Kids
          • Invisalign for Teens
          • Invisalign For Adults
          • Invisalign FAQ
        • Braces
          • Types Of Braces
          • Braces For Kids
          • Braces For Teens
          • Braces For Adults
          • Braces for Seniors
          • Braces FAQ
        • InBrace®
          • Hidden/Lingual Braces
          • What Is InBrace?
          • How InBrace Works
          • Benefits Of InBrace
          • InBrace FAQ
        • Other Treatments
          • Accelerated Orthodontics
          • Zoom Teeth Whitening
          • Retainers
          • Phase One Orthodontics
          • Family Orthodontics
  • Resources
    • Your First Visit
    • Virtual Consult
    • Refer a Patient
    • Overseas Patients
    • Financial Information
    • Orthodontic FAQ
    • Before & After
    • The BHO Edit - Explore Our Blog
    • Emergency Orthodontics
    • Shop
  • Contact
    • Contact Info
    • Careers
    • Beverly Hills
    • Downtown Los Angeles
    • Studio City
    • Alhambra
  • Get $1000 off
  • Free Consult
BHO White Logo
  • Our Practice
    • Who We Are
    • What Sets Us Apart
    • Meet Dr. Madan
    • Meet Our Team
    • Advanced Technology
    • In The Press
    • Patient Reviews
    • Community Events
  • What We Do
    • Invisalign®
      • About Invisalign
      • Invisalign For Kids
      • Invisalign for Teens
      • Invisalign For Adults
      • Invisalign FAQ
    • Braces
      • Types Of Braces
      • Braces For Kids
      • Braces For Teens
      • Braces For Adults
      • Braces for Seniors
      • Braces FAQ
    • InBrace®
      • Hidden/Lingual Braces
      • What Is InBrace?
      • How InBrace Works
      • Benefits Of InBrace
      • InBrace FAQ
    • Other Treatments
      • Accelerated Orthodontics
      • Zoom Teeth Whitening
      • Retainers
      • Phase One Orthodontics
      • Family Orthodontics
  • Resources
    • Your First Visit
    • Virtual Consult
    • Refer a Patient
    • Overseas Patients
    • Financial Information
    • Orthodontic FAQ
    • Before & After
    • The BHO Edit – Explore Our Blog
    • Emergency Orthodontics
    • Shop
  • Contact
    • Contact Info
    • Careers
    • Beverly Hills
    • Downtown Los Angeles
    • Studio City
    • Alhambra
  • Get $1000 off
  • Free Consult
  • Call / Text (310) 785-0770
  • Payment Calculator
  • Blog
  • Get $1,000 Off
GET $1,000 OFF
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • List Item
  • YouTube
  • List Item

Braces First Week Tips

Love Yourself, Love Your Smile

braces-first-week-tips
  • Dr. Monica Madan
  • March 16, 2023

Are you preparing for your first week wearing braces? Whether you are still researching orthodontic treatments or just had your brackets and wires bonded in place, it’s good to know what to expect for your first few days in braces.

Braces: Components

Using braces has been a common practice to realign teeth that predates the beginning of modern orthodontics by a few millennia. In fact, braces are still one of the tools most preferred by orthodontists today, though the design has been updated considerably since ancient Egypt. They consist of at least two parts:

  • Brackets – metal or ceramic posts securely bonded to your teeth with a composite adhesive.
  • Archwires – thin metal wires threaded in between each bracket for a continuous connection.

If you have an overbite, underbite, or open bite, your orthodontist may also use elastics (i.e., rubber bands) to help correct the issue.

Braces: Function

Throughout treatment, your orthodontist will periodically tighten the archwire to increase pressure on the brackets. This moves teeth in a controlled manner, allowing your orthodontist to gradually improve your tooth alignment until you have a perfectly straight smile.

One reason behind the long-lived popularity of braces is their extreme versatility. Braces can correct nearly all mild-to-severe alignment issues, including:

  • Impacted teeth
  • Overcrowding
  • Crossbite
  • Overbite/overjet
  • Underbite
  • Open bite
  • Spacing issues/smile gaps

For braces to succeed, however, you will need to follow your orthodontist’s instructions diligently. Below, you will find key advice and a host of braces first-week tips from the Beverly Hills Orthodontics (BHO) team that will help you start treatment off right!

Your Braces: First Week Expectations

First, let’s review what will happen during the first few days of treatment. Once we establish what to expect at the doctor’s office, you can follow our braces first-week tips to begin building good habits.

Attaching Your Braces

As you may have guessed, the first week of treatment begins when your orthodontist attaches your braces to your teeth. While it’s perfectly normal to be concerned or anxious about this process, we have some good news: attaching braces to your teeth is a painless procedure. And, it only takes an hour or two to complete.

To attach the braces, your orthodontist will:

  1. Clean your teeth and dry them in preparation for bracket attachment.
  2. Use bonding material to attach the brackets across your rows of teeth.
  3. Shine a curing light on brackets to harden the bonding material and create a firm connection.
  4. Slide metal bands over your molars if necessary to anchor the braces. The bands are sized to your molars, so you should not feel any pain or discomfort, just a bit of pressure.
  5. Connect all the brackets together with an archwire.

Once anchored by metal molar bands and threaded through each bracket, the archwire is cut close to the end of the bands to keep it from irritating the gums or cheeks. If your treatment includes overbite, underbite, or crossbite correction, your orthodontist will also attach elastics to the brackets and show you how to attach them yourself.

As mentioned previously, the attachment process is completely pain-free. However, you will feel some pressure while bonding the brackets and bands. You should also expect the doctor to place an appliance in your mouth to keep it open for the entire procedure.

After Your Office Visit

Immediately after your braces are attached, you may experience some short-term effects:

  • Tooth Pressure. Braces correct alignment problems by applying pressure to teeth. You will feel this pressure on your teeth as the braces are first attached and whenever the archwire is tightened. The pressure should not cause any pain and naturally subsides within a couple of days. If it becomes uncomfortable, take an OTC painkiller (e.g., Tylenol) and avoid hard foods.
  • Slight Skin Irritation. Along with tooth pressure, brackets and wires can irritate the inside of your lips, cheeks, and tongue as you start treatment. After a few days, up to a couple of weeks, your mouth will become accustomed to the braces hardware and the irritation will stop. For immediate relief, you can also apply orthodontic wax to your braces to create a barrier between the hardware and your skin.
  • Altered Speech. Some patients report that braces alter the way they speak during the first few days of treatment. If this happens to you, don’t panic. Just keep talking: as you naturally adapt to your braces, you will sound like yourself in a day or two.

With these factors in mind, let’s take a look at how to make the most of your first week in braces.

Braces First Week Tips: Begin Orthodontic Treatment on the Right Note

Most braces treatments take around 12 months to 2+ years to complete. Treatment duration is influenced by a number of things, including:

  • The type of malocclusion
  • Malocclusion severity
  • Anatomical factors
  • Patient age

In addition to these aspects, good patient habits can positively influence how quickly your braces produce results.

As a braces patient, your job is to keep your braces in working order. To do so, you must follow certain best practices and be diligent about your oral care routine. If not, you risk damaging your braces, infecting your gums, and developing cavities—all of which can create major delays in your treatment.

Follow these braces first week tips to form good habits as you start treatment:

  1. Do Not Eat Hard, Sticky, or Crunchy Foods. Many foods can damage your braces during treatment. Eating hard foods (e.g., nuts, carrots, whole apples, etc.) can inadvertently bend wires, loosen bands, and break brackets. Sticky foods (e.g., gum, candy, etc.) can pull wires out of position and loosen bands. Crunchy foods (e.g., hard-shell tacos, chips, etc.) can loosen the brackets bonded to your teeth.
  2. Avoid Nervous Chewing Habits. When many people are nervous or bored, they habitually chew non-food items, like pencils, pens, ice, or fingernails. All of these objects can damage your braces, so if you have been trying to quash that nail-biting habit, now is the time!
  3. Prioritize Your Oral Hygiene. Daily brushing and flossing are always important, but your oral care routine is especially critical while wearing braces. To prevent plaque accumulation and other dental problems, plan to brush your teeth and braces 3 times a day for 3 to 5 minutes, and floss at night. After brushing and flossing, your braces should always appear shiny and clean.
  4. Wear a Mouthguard When Playing Contact Sports. If there is a reasonable chance of someone or something colliding with your braces, you need to wear a mouthguard. One unprotected blow to a mouth with braces can lead to expensive repairs and painful injuries. Minimize this risk by wearing a mouthguard any time you participate in physical activities.

Interested in Braces? Schedule a Consultation With BHO Today!

Braces are one of the most reliable ways to achieve a flawless smile. No matter whether you struggle with crowding, open bite, underbite, or another malocclusion, braces can correct your alignment issues for a perfectly straight set of teeth.

If you are ready to improve your smile, Beverly Hills Orthodontics is the practice for you. Led by Ivy League graduate Dr. Monica Madan, BHO uses the latest technology to create the best treatment plans possible. From accelerated orthodontic measures to different types of braces, we provide our patients with different care options that maximize comfort and convenience. Contact us today to discuss your treatment plan.

NOTE: All blog content is intended to supplement—NOT REPLACE—the expertise of a healthcare professional and should not be construed in any way as medical advice. Consult a professional orthodontist directly, like the ones at BHO, to assess your individual needs and advise the best course of treatment.

Your Smile Is More than just two rows of teeth - it's how you show your personality to the world.

Let Dr. Madan and her team help you help keep your smile looking (and feeling) better than ever.
Request Free Consult
Happy Girl

Get Started Today

Ready to transform your smile?

Request Free Consult
Special Offer

$1,000 Off Invisalign or Braces

Get Started

patient reviews

Enjoy our 5-star experience.

We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our communities with the highest quality care. Check out what our patients are saying about their 5-star experience with us!

smiling-beautiful-girl-her-handsome-boyfriend-casual-summer-clothes-web
l i z z i e
No one has scheduled my appointment better than Anthony and Dr. Madden is the best doctor!!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your wonderful recommendation, Lizzie! We're thrilled to be considered the best in the area. Your support means a lot to us!
Alessandra M.
Dr Monica and her staff are just the absolute best. Office is beautiful and clean. Staff is great and kind and have never had any issues whatsoever. The work that she and her staff members do is just 10/10. They are also so welcoming and genuinely kind. Dr Monica and even members of her staff like Anthony will have genuine conversations with you and make you feel the most comfortable. Even during a treatment that many (including myself) are not fond of. (Anything dental related can be scary but they truly put you at peace.) I’m so happy that I made the decision to proceed with treatment here. All questions are always answered. Concerns dealt with. And treatment is impeccable. The results I already have solidify why I’m so happy with my decision to get work done here.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your wonderful review, Alessandra. We're thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience. Our team is dedicated to making every visit comfortable and welcoming. Your satisfaction is our priority!
nathalie K.
Very friendly staff & very accommoding. They are very understanding. Everyone here is super welcoming and very nice! Can't wait to see my next appointment.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your glowing review, Nathalie! We’re thrilled to hear that you found our team friendly and accommodating. We look forward to welcoming you back at your next appointment!
T W.
I highly recommend Dr Madan at BHO for all of your orthodontic needs. Between her warm personality, knowledge and skill you will have to look no further.
This office constantly has amazing offers and specials that make their treatment pricing EXTREMELY competitive. Trust me, as I’ve gotten consults from just about every provider in town. I am seeing unbelievable results with my Invisalign treatment only a few weeks in. Dr Madan was the obvious choice, as she made this process as minimally invasive as possible. I have been to multiple of her offices and they all are pristine. I would recommend to anyone in the LA area looking for the best provider for their orthodontist!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your glowing review! We're delighted you're experiencing exceptional results with your Invisalign treatment. Dr. Madan strives to create a comfortable and effective orthodontic experience for every patient.
Eva P.
So far I am having an amazing experience with Dr Madan and BHO. I’ve consulted with many Orthos over the years for Invisalign. Almost all said I would have to extract a tooth to solve over crowding issue on bottom teeth. Within literally 5 weeks of Invisalign, my bottom teeth are almost completely straightened out already. I cannot believe how fast this treatment is working. Not to mention, I had tradition braces in the past and my teeth fully reverted to their original form. It took over 4 years to correct my crowding with braces the first time, back in the day.

How incredible Dr Madan and her staff is , along with her immaculate offices deserves its own second review. 10/10 experience so far highly recommend them!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Eva! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience with Dr. Madan and our team. It’s rewarding to see your progress with Invisalign. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
Anahit M.
I’ve had a good experience here. I have been coming here for about two years and I’ve seen great progress.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your wonderful feedback, Anahit! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience and the progress you've made over the past two years. Your support means a lot to us!
valeria
Overall the best experience, definitely helped me get my self confidence back with my smile!!🥰
Response from the owner:We truly appreciate your feedback, Val! It’s fantastic to know that we positively impacted your self-confidence and smile. Thank you for choosing us and sharing your experience! We’re here for you anytime you need us.
Bardia A.
Monica and her team are so nice and professional. The experience has always been welcoming and the office was always clean and I felt totally comfortable coming in during the pandemic. They took every precaution and were so great to work with.
Response from the owner:We appreciate you taking the time to leave us feedback on your experience. We work very hard every day to exceed our patients’ expectations!
Justin H.
We have loved working with the team at Beverly Hills Orthodontics. We had 2 kids go through the Invisalign plan and they were always so nice and helpful in explaining everything. What a difference the program made!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the positive feedback. We are honored to serve each and every one of our patients!
Jade L.
Lose this dentist, the doctors are really nice and always answer my questions regarding my teeth.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words about us and our staff!
read more reviews
come visit us

We can’t wait
to see you soon!

  • BEVERLY HILLS
  • 2080 Century Park E #505
    Los Angeles, CA 90067
  • DOWNTOWN LA
  • 740 S. Olive St. Unit 105
    Los Angeles, CA 90014
  • STUDIO CITY
  • 10751 Riverside Dr.
    Toluca Lake, CA 91602
  • ALHAMBRA
  • 320 S. Garfield Ave. Suite 306
    Alhambra, CA 91801
Alhambra

Studio City

Downtown LA

Beverly Hills

Sign up for our Newsletter!

Keep up to date on everything Beverly Hills Orthodontics is doing with our patients and the community!

[ctct form="16980" show_title="false"]
Footer logo

QUICK LINKS

  • Our Practice
  • What We Do
  • Patient Resources
  • Contact Us
  • In The Press
  • Our Practice
  • What We Do
  • Patient Resources
  • Contact Us
  • In The Press

CONTACT US

  • Beverly Hills
  • Downtown LA
  • Studio City
  • Alhambra
  • Call/Text (310) 785-0770

FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Yelp

CONTACT HOURS

Monday8:00am – 6:00pm
Tuesday8:00am – 6:00pm
Wednesday8:00am – 6:00pm
Thursday8:00am – 6:00pm
Friday8:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday8:00am – 4:00pm
Request Free Consult
GET $1,000 OFF

© Copyright 2025 Beverly Hills Orthodontics | Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Accessibility 

We're Hiring! Contact Us for Details on Open Positions!

Apply Now