Wearing braces requires some modifications in the types of foods you eat to avoid damaging your appliances. It will take some time to get used to your new diet and we expect to encounter a few broken brackets in the first few months of your treatment. However, when brackets, bands and wires are consistently broken or bent due to inappropriate care, this leads to longer and more frequent appointments for you and greatly extends the amount of time you will have braces! By following a few simple guidelines you can protect your teeth and appliances and help ensure that you get your braces off as soon as possible!
Foods to avoid:
- Hard foods: hard breads/rolls/pizza crusts, nuts, whole apples, raw vegetables
- Chewy foods: bagels, licorice
- Crunchy foods: partially unpopped popcorn, ice, chips, granola bars
- Sticky foods: caramels, sugared gum, taffy, fruit chews
- Hard candies: suckers, mints, jawbreakers, jolly ranchers, skittles
- Pens, pencils and fingernails are not edible and should not be in your mouth!
- Never use your teeth to open cans/bottles, packages, or to cut string/tags!
- Acidic drinks (soda pop) damage the glue that holds the brackets to the teeth
You will soon find that there are many foods you CAN eat! A good tip is to avoid biting directly into things, but rather cut foods into bite-sized pieces and use your back teeth to chew. This makes items like apples, raw carrots and even corn on the cob easy to enjoy and safe for your appliances!
General Soreness
After you initially get your braces and after each adjustment, you may experience some soreness of the teeth and mouth. This usually includes tenderness to biting and is best managed by choosing softer foods for a few days after your appointment. Anything that can be smashed with a fork is considered "soft" and includes mashed potatoes, soups, pasta, cooked vegetables, yogurt, bananas, cottage cheese, and of course, ice cream! To help decrease tooth soreness, it is recommended that you take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen sodium (Alleve) about 1 hour before your appointment. This will help to prevent your teeth from feeling quite so sore after your adjustment. You may continue to take a pain reliever for a few days after your visit, if needed. While these types of medications provide the best pain relief, they must be taken appropriately and with a full glass of water or food to prevent stomach irritation. If you are unable to take ibuprofen, you may want to use Tylenol instead.
It is also common to develop some sores on the lips and cheeks after braces are placed. Using a warm salt water rinse a few times a day is very soothing: mix a teaspoon of salt into a glass of warm water and swish gently. Orthodontic wax is very helpful in targeting specific areas of the braces/wires that feel uncomfortable, or the lip bumper can cover a larger area of brackets. You also may find topical anesthetics such as Oragel, Ambesol, or BraceAid helpful for spot treatment. Rest assured most patients find that over time their teeth, lips and cheeks "toughen up" a bit and they experience much less discomfort as treatment progresses. Some patients report they never have any problems at all!
Oral Hygiene
Proper oral hygiene is VERY important to the health of your teeth and gums and the success of your orthodontic treatment! Plaque (food debris and bacteria) can easily accumulate around your brackets and wires and therefore it is imperative that you brush your teeth several times a day, ideally every time you eat. Failure to properly clean your teeth will result in permanent white stains on the teeth and possibly cavities that must be filled by the dentist, in addition to extending treatment time.
Regular Dental Visits
It is very important to visit your general dentist every 6 months during treatment for check ups and cleanings. Your orthodontist and general dentist work together to assure you maintain healthy teeth and gums throughout your treatment.
Tobacco Use
It is imperative that orthodontic patients not use tobacco (in any form) during their treatment or risk significant, irreversible damage to the teeth, gums and bones.
Athletics
Protecting your mouth and appliances during physical activity is important. We recommend you wear a mouthguard for any sport that has potential for physical contact-if you have questions about whether a mouthguard is needed for your activity, just ask us! In case of any accident involving the face, be sure to let us know so we can check your teeth and appliances for damage. Even if you don't feel like anything is wrong, we need to know an accident occurred because a problem that goes unnoticed can have harmful effects on your teeth and overall treatment.
Loosening of Teeth
You may notice that your teeth feel slightly loose-don't worry! This is normal and actually a good thing. The teeth must loosen in order for them to be moved and will become secure again once treatment is finished.
