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About Braces
Eating with Braces
What can you eat? Let's talk about what you shouldn't eat! For the first day or two, stick to soft foods. Avoid hard and sticky candy, gum, popcorn, nuts, tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. In addition, be mindful not to bite your nails, or chew on ice, pens, or pencils. Please note that drinking sodas while you have braces may cause permanent damage to your enamel. If you must drink sodas, please brush your teeth afterward! Protect your teeth for as long as you're wearing braces by flossing, brushing thoroughly, and using a prescription fluoride rinse daily.
Foods to Avoid
- Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
- Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, corn chips, large pretzels
- Sticky foods: caramels, gum, taffy
- Hard foods: nuts, candy
- Foods you have to bite into with your front teeth: corn on the cob, apples, carrots (these foods are OK though, as long as you cut them into small enough pieces that you can chew them with your back teeth)
- Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can loosen, break, or damage braces. Damaged braces will delay completion of your orthodontic treatment!
Pain and Discomfort
When you initially have your braces placed, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and your teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. Discomfort in your gums and on the insides of your cheeks can often be relieved by rinsing your mouth once or twice each day with warm salt-water. All you have to do is dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in a drinking glass of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously (as if you were using a mouthwash). Rinse with mouthfuls of the salt-water until you have used the whole glass. If your teeth are tender or painful, just take the pain reliever that you would normally use for a headache or similar discomfort. Depending on the way your teeth respond, you may need to continue to take the pain reliever for several days. Your lips and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks after initial placement of your braces. They will toughen and become accustomed to the surfaces of the braces, but until then, you can place relief-wax on the braces to make your lips and cheeks more comfortable. We'll show you how!
Loosening of Teeth
You may occasionally notice that some of your teeth feel loose during the course of your orthodontic treatment. This is to be expected throughout treatment, and is frequently a normal response to tooth movement. Don't worry! Teeth must loosen slightly first so they can be moved. These teeth will later feel more like usual in their new - corrected - positions.
Loose Wires or Bands
Don't be alarmed if a wire, bracket or band becomes loose. This happens occasionally. If a tie-wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (the eraser on the end of a pencil is best) and gently push the irritating tie-wire underneath the archwire. If irritation continues, place relief-wax on the wire to reduce the discomfort. Please call our office as soon as possible to schedule an appointment so we can check and repair the problem. If any part of your braces falls off, please save it and bring it with you to your appointment.
Cooperation
To successfully complete treatment, we must work together. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if elastics, lip bumpers, headgear, etc. are consistently worn as recommended. Missing or damaged appliances not only lengthen treatment time, but also cause additional expenses not included the contract.
Brushing
It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces so that the teeth and gums remain healthy during and after orthodontic treatment. We recommend all of our patients visit their dentists for professional cleanings more frequently during the time the braces are in place (usually once each 3 or 4 months instead of the usual 6 months). Adults who have a history of gum disease should also continue to see their periodontist during the course of their orthodontic treatment.
Athletics
If you play sports, it's important that you consult us for special precautions. A protective mouth-guard is advised for playing contact sports. In the case of an accident involving the face, check your mouth and braces immediately. If teeth are loosened or the braces are damaged, please call our office immediately for an appointment.
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