
Not everyone is blessed with straight teeth, so they go through the process of having braces fitted to correct their smile. This works wonderfully over time and produces the straight alignment you want with your teeth.
While you are living with braces, sometimes they can get damaged from issues like a crossbite, deep bite or crowded teeth, which can potentially set back the treatment. There is, however, a solution.
Bite blocks, or turbos, are made of different materials like plastic, metal, ionomer cement or acrylic, and they restrict the teeth from touching and coming into contact with the braces. Are you getting braces, and your doctor is also installing bite blocks?
Here are some tips with bite blocks that will help you with your alignment journey.
Tip #1: Consider Bite Blocks
Braces are challenging enough but can be more noticeable if you install bite blocks. They are typically mounted on the tongue side of your front teeth and the top surface of your back molars with L or triangular shapes, as this is the best defence. You may even have ones with springs. Fortunately, there are options.
You can embrace their necessity and choose various colours to bling out your teeth. If you want them to be less noticeable, you can match them to your tooth shade so they are almost invisible.
Tip #2: Start With Soft Foods
Wearing braces will affect how you eat, which can be daunting. When you add in bite blocks, chewing can cause a problem. This is due to your jaw muscles adapting to the changes because your teeth are not meeting like they used to, and it may even cause jaw pain.
Until your mouth and jaw get used to bite blocks, stick to soft foods like bananas and smoothies, bread, protein supplements, fruits, and cooked veggies. Fish and eggs are great options; they are whole foods but tender enough to eat without discomfort.
Cutting up your food into smaller pieces also helps with chewing and digesting. After about a week, you will be more accustomed to the blocks and can introduce brace-friendly foods to enjoy.
Tip #3: Take Medicine for Any Pain
Braces can cause temporary pain, and adding bite blocks may intensify over the short term. This is because you are chewing in a more centralized area where the bite block contacts the teeth. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort, try taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease the pain.
These are common pain ingredients in over-the-counter medications like Tylenol and Advil. You can also use anesthetic gels to help with the pain until it subsides.
Tip #4: Work On Your Speech
We all learn to talk early, and it happens without much thought. Bite blocks tend to get in the way of regular tongue movement and may cause a lisp or altered vowel pronunciation as they are attached to the lingual side of your teeth.
Don’t let it deter you from conversations because this can develop into anxiety or becoming reclusive and nonverbal. You can work on your speaking in private by practicing single sounds and words to adapt your tongue and mouth. Then, speak common sentences and move on to conversations with those you feel safe with.
Your brain and body are adaptable, so you will quickly work around this small problem.
Tip #5: Pay Attention to Worn or Lost Blocks
Like everything, the material wears down, and your bite blocks are no different. You may start to notice your biting changing after wearing bite blocks for a while, and this is typically from wear. Sometimes, blocks wear unevenly, and then you will feel contact with only one area with your teeth.
This will feel strange but is perfectly normal, so if you notice that one or more blocks have worn away beyond usefulness or are lost, contact your orthodontist for a visit to check it out. They will probably replace the missing or worn bite block so you can regain full protection.
Tip #6: Keep Your Bite Blocks Clean
Brushing your teeth morning and night is a great habit; with braces, your dentist will also guide you in cleaning them. Bite blocks require additional maintenance to keep your treatment running smoothly.
Cleaning involves brushing to ensure no food gets stuck between teeth and around the blocks. Using a water flosser can prevent buildup around the block as well.
Use these tips with bite blocks to make the initial adjustment and prolonged use more comfortable. Your bite blocks may be used alongside your braces until your teeth’s alignment no longer touches your braces while biting down.
Then, when your orthodontist decides you no longer need them, they will be removed, and you can finish up your treatment and end up with an amazing smile.