The Banding Appointment

The banding appointment, which is the appointment to put the patient's braces on, usually takes about and hour and a half. This appointment is painless, and rest assured, there are no needles or drills involved! Patients are encouraged to return to work or school after this appointment, since they will be perfectly able to continue with their normal daily activities. We will be happy to prepare a written school excuse for our young patients, should their school require documentation for time missed due to an appointment with our practice.

The patient will be seated in our clinic and will be prepared for banding by one of our clinical assistants. The assistant will apply pumice and an etching solution to the tooth surface. After this, the doctor will bond each brace onto the teeth with the aid of our clinical assistant.

Once the braces have been bonded onto the teeth and the rear bands have been placed, a wire is inserted into the braces and is secured. The wire creates the force needed to move the teeth into the desired position. Once the wire has been placed, tiny elastics called ligatures are placed around the front of the brace, which holds the wire in place. Patients have their choice of over 30 different colors of ligatures, including clear and even glow in the dark!

After the patient's braces are bonded, our clinical team will explain the do's and don'ts of braces, as well as how to brush, floss, and care for them properly. The patient will also receive a "goodie bag" of supplies such as wax, floss threaders, an interproximal toothbrush, and other useful items. If the patient plays any kind of contact sport, we will also provide them with an orthodontic mouthguard. Mouthguards are critical in order to prevent serious injuries while in braces. Our clinical team will also answer any questions patients have, and will make sure that patients are comfortable and confident when they leave our office.

Later in the day after braces and wires have been placed, the patient may experience some mild discomfort. It is normal that this may last for a few days. This is normal, and typically is alleviated by an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil, and a temporary diet consisting of softer foods. Read our additional advice for your first day in braces.