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 should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment. Watch the two videos below on the proper care of braces during orthodontic treatment.
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. Before long, you’ll be able to bite a cucumber again. But 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
- Sticky foods: caramels, gum
- Hard foods: nuts, candy
- Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots. Please cut the corn off of the cob and cut hard raw fruits and vegetables into small bite size pieces and remember to chew with your back teeth.
- Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Remember, every broken bracket could add 6 weeks to your treatment time.
General Soreness
When you have your braces bonded, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and your teeth may feel a little sensitive or tender. This discomfort will dissipate over the next couple of days. If you like you can take an over the counter pain medication such as Tylenol or Advil. Everyone is different and some people do not experience any discomfort. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated as they toughen and become accustomed to the braces. If you find that your tissues are being irritated, it is helpful to place a small piece of orthodontic wax directly over the bracket or area that is bothering you. We will supply wax to put on the braces to lessen discomfort.
Loosening of Teeth
You may experience the feeling of loosening of your teeth during your orthodontic treatment. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about. In order for your teeth to move into their corrected positions, they must first have this loosening feeling. They will firm up again once your treatment progressing and is complete.
Loose Wire or Band
If a wire or band comes loose, please don’t be alarmed. This can happen occasionally. If a wire is sticking out and causing irritation, you can gently push it back under the bracket using a blunt instrument, such as the eraser end of a pencil. If the wire continues to irritate your lips or mouth, you can place wax on it to reduce the discomfort. If the discomfort continues, please call our office and we will advise you on the best way to repair the problem or to come into the office so we can attend to it.
Rubber Band Wear
A successful orthodontic outcome requires close cooperation between the doctor, patients, and parents. Consistent wear of rubber bands or other prescribed appliances is essential for teeth and jaws to move into their corrected positions. Failure to follow instructions or damaged appliances can prolong your treatment time. Please follow all instructions carefully to ensure the best and fastest results.
Athletics
If you play sports, it’s important you let us know. A protective mouthguard is suggested to wear for playing contact sports.
