First Frost, Chapped Lips, and Braces: A Cold-Weather Comfort Guide for Rochester Orthodontic Patients
The first frost has either already hit your windshield or is on its way. In Rochester, that usually means the furnace kicks on, the air inside gets dry, and everyone starts reaching for a lip balm. It is also the start of cold and flu season, with stuffy noses, sore throats, and cough drops in every backpack and coat pocket.
If you or your child wears braces or Invisalign aligners, the change in seasons can bring a few new comfort issues. None of them are serious, but they can be annoying, and a few small habits make a real difference. Here is what we tell patients at Lazzara Smiles when the weather starts to turn.
Why braces and chapped lips don't get along
Braces push your lips forward slightly, so they stretch over the brackets more than they used to. Add dry indoor heat and cold, windy air outside, and lips can get dry, cracked, and sore faster than usual. Corners of the mouth are especially prone to splitting when lips are stretched and dry.
A few simple fixes:
Keep a lip balm handy and use it often, especially before heading outside and before bed. A plain, fragrance-free balm is usually the gentlest option.
Try not to lick your lips. It feels like it helps, but saliva evaporates quickly and leaves lips drier than before.
Drink water throughout the day. Hydration helps your lips and the inside of your mouth.
Run a humidifier in the bedroom if your home gets very dry in winter. Many families notice the difference in the morning.
Dry mouth, stuffy noses, and mouth breathing
When you have a cold, you are more likely to breathe through your mouth, especially while sleeping. That dries out the mouth, and saliva is one of your best natural defenses against plaque. With brackets and wires creating more places for food and plaque to hide, a dry mouth makes good brushing even more important.
While you are under the weather:
Keep up with brushing and flossing, even if you feel lousy. A quick, thorough brush beats skipping it.
Sip water often, and keep a glass by the bed at night.
Choose sugar-free cough drops when you can. Sugary drops slowly bathe your teeth in sugar, which is not what you want around brackets.
Rinse with water after taking sweetened liquid cold medicine, and brush when you can.
Once you are feeling better, it is a good time to swap in a fresh toothbrush. Bristles wear out faster with braces, so check your brush often during treatment.
Invisalign patients: hot drinks and cold-weather habits
Cold mornings mean more hot coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. If you wear Invisalign aligners, take your trays out before drinking anything other than plain water. Hot liquids can warp aligners, and sugary or colored drinks can get trapped against your teeth under the trays and stain the plastic.
The tricky part in winter is that hot drinks tend to get sipped slowly over a long time, like a travel mug on the commute or hot cocoa at a game. That can add up to a lot of time with your aligners out. Try to enjoy those drinks in one sitting, then rinse or brush and put your trays back in so you stay on track with your daily wear time.
Sugar-free cough drops and lozenges also count as "aligners out" items. Do not let them sit in your mouth with trays in.
Sore spots and mouth sores
Dry, irritated tissue is more likely to get rubbed by a bracket or a wire end, and some people find mouth sores pop up more when they are run down or sick. If a bracket is rubbing your cheek or lip, orthodontic wax is your friend. Dry the spot with a tissue, roll a small piece of wax into a ball, and press it over the bracket or wire that is causing trouble.
A warm salt water rinse can be soothing for irritated spots. If a wire is poking you, a sore is not healing, or something feels broken, call the office. We can tell you whether it needs a visit right away or can wait until your next appointment.
Sensitive teeth and cold air
When teeth are moving, they can feel a bit more tender than usual, especially in the day or two after an adjustment or switching to a new set of aligners. Some patients notice that cold air on a frigid walk to the bus or across a parking lot makes teeth feel more sensitive. Pulling a scarf or neck gaiter up over your mouth on the coldest days can help.
If sensitivity is severe, lasts a long time, or is focused on one tooth, mention it to us or to your general dentist. It is worth checking out rather than just putting up with it.
Winter fun with braces
Western New York does winter well, from sledding hills and skating rinks to ski trips and hockey season. Braces should not keep anyone off the slopes or the ice. A mouthguard that fits over braces is a smart idea for hockey, skiing, snowboarding, and any activity where a fall or a bump to the face is possible. If you have questions about which kind of mouthguard to use with your braces, just ask at your next visit.
And if a fall or bump does knock a bracket loose or bend a wire, give us a call so we can take a look.
Snow days and appointments
Lake-effect snow does not care about your orthodontic schedule. When a storm rolls through, roads can be rough and school closings can throw the whole day off. If the weather makes it unsafe to travel, please do not risk the drive. Give us a call as early as you can so we can find you another time, and so we can let you know if anything about your treatment means you should be seen sooner rather than later.
It also helps to book visits a little further ahead during the winter months. If you know a busy week or a holiday break is coming, grabbing an appointment now gives you more flexibility if a storm forces a change later. Missing one visit is rarely a big deal, but several missed visits in a row can stretch out treatment time, and nobody wants to spend extra months in braces because of a snowy January.
Keep your routine steady through the holidays
The stretch from Halloween through New Year's is full of treats, travel, and late nights. The patients who come through it with the fewest broken brackets and the healthiest gums are usually the ones who keep their basic routine going. That means brushing after meals, flossing every day, wearing elastics or aligners as directed, and keeping regular appointments.
A small winter kit in your coat pocket or backpack helps:
Travel toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste
Floss picks or threaders
Orthodontic wax
Lip balm
Your aligner case, if you wear Invisalign
A water bottle
We're here if something comes up
Cold-weather comfort issues are usually easy to manage at home, but you never have to guess. If something feels off with your braces or aligners this season, or if it is time to schedule your next visit, reach out to Lazzara Smiles. Call us at (585) 424-6400, email info@toothmover.com, or visit toothmover.com to request an appointment. Our office is at 925 E Henrietta Rd in Rochester, and we look forward to keeping your smile comfortable all winter long.
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