Eating with Braces
There are very few foods you cannot eat while you have braces. We do ask you not to eat hard and sticky foods such as caramel, taffy, gummy bears, suckers, jolly ranchers, jerky or popcorn. You may chew gum as long as it is sugarless and not big, bulky bubblegum. When you eat foods like apples, pizza, corn on the cob, carrots and celery, etc., we ask that you cut those foods up into small pieces and then chew them on your back teeth. The corn will have to be cut off the cob.
Bad Habits to Avoid
Chewing on hard things (like ice, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces may cause treatment to take longer.
Brushing and Flossing
It’s more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces so the teeth and gums are healthy during orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease may also need to see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment. Watch the video below on the proper care of braces during orthodontic treatment.
Fluoride Rinses or Gels
We recommend that you rinse once a day with a fluoride rinse. We want you to use this once a day, preferably at night before you go to bed.
Brush your teeth well, then take a teaspoon of fluoride rinse and swish it around in your mouth for about a minute. Spit the rinse out and do not swallow it. If your dentist has given you a fluoride gel to use, that would be acceptable to use in place of the rinse.
General Soreness
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for 4 – 5 days. Over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, should help if you experience discomfort. The lips, cheeks, and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the braces. We will supply wax to put on the braces in irritated areas to lessen discomfort.
Eating soft foods for the first couple of days also helps. Some suggestions include jello, soups, applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, etc. Everyone responds differently, so for one person it might be minor discomfort, yet to another, the teeth may be very sore. Periodically throughout treatment, you may experience sore teeth when a new archwire has been placed in the mouth. However, this soreness lasts approximately 1-2 days.
Loosening of Teeth
This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don’t worry! It’s normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can move. The teeth will firm up in their new, corrected positions after treatment is completed.
Rubber Band Wear
To successfully complete orthodontic treatment, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands or other appliances as prescribed. Elastics provide extra forces to help move your teeth. Be very faithful at wearing your rubber bands so you do not prolong your treatment time.
Loose Wire, Bracket or Band
Don’t be alarmed if a wire, bracket or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. Our Emergency Care section may help answer questions you may have regarding what to do in these type of situations and help you until you can get in to see us. Please call our office as soon as possible for an appointment so we can check and repair the problem.
Athletics
If you play sports, it’s important you let us know. A protective mouthguard is provided for playing contact sports.
