All About Braces
Eating with Braces
What can you eat? Let's talk about what you shouldn't eat! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. You'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.
Foods to Avoid
- Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
- Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
- Sticky foods: caramels, gummy bears, tootsie rolls
- Hard foods: nuts, candy
- Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots (cut into small pieces)
- Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.
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 three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater rinse. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take ibuprofen or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!
Loosening of Teeth
This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved. The teeth will again become rigidly fixed in their new — corrected — positions.
Loose Wire or Band
Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. If a wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (back of spoon or the eraser end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair the appliances. If any piece comes off, save it and bring it with you to the office.
Care of Appliances
To successfully complete the treatment plan, the patient mustwork together with Dr. Collins. The teeth and jaws can onlymove toward their corrected positions if the patient consistentlywears the rubber bands, or other appliances asprescribed. Damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time.
Brushing
It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly whenyou have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy afterorthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth cleanmay require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professionalcleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease should also seea periodontist during orthodontic treatment.
Athletics
If you play sports, it's important that you consult us forspecial precautions. A protective mouthguard is advised forplaying contact sports. In case of any accident involving theface, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teethare loosened or the appliances damaged, phone at once for anappointment. In the meantime, treat your discomfort as you wouldtreat any general soreness.
Alternatives to traditional braces
We have many treatment options available, including Invisalign®, In-Ovation® and Damon® System. Contact us at one of three offices today to learn more.