Life With Braces

Now that you have your braces, it is important for you to understand how to properly care for them. We have provided some information below to help you ensure the overall success of your orthodontic treatment.

Eating with Braces

For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided.

Examples of Sticky Foods to Avoid:

• Gum (sugar-free or regular)
• Licorice
• Sugar Daddies
• Toffee
• Tootsie Rolls
• Caramels
• Starburst

Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid:

• Ice
• Nuts
• Hard taco shells
• French bread crust/rolls
• Corn on the cob
• Apples and carrots (unless cut into small pieces)
• Bagels
• Chips
• Jolly Ranchers
• Pizza crust
• Uncooked carrots (unless cut)

Minimize Sugary Foods like:

• Cake
• Ice Cream
• Cookies
• Pie
• Candy

Only Once a Day:

• Soda
• Sweetened tea
• Gatorade
• Kool-Aid

Drinks with sugar

It’s important to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, call our office immediately to arrange an appointment for repair.

Discomfort with Orthodontic Treatment

During the first week after your braces are in place and routine adjustments are complete, you will likely feel some pain, soreness or discomfort. This is normal and won’t last forever. We recommend using a warm saltwater solution rinse to help alleviate the symptoms (one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water). If the pain persists, you may take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers while you adjust to your new braces. A warm wash cloth or heating pad may reduce the soreness in your jaws.

Loose Brackets or Bands

Call our office immediately for advice if a bracket or wire is loosened. The bracket may need to be re-fitted as soon as possible. You may have a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire at night or over the weekend. If you need to cut a wire in case of emergency, you may use fingernail clippers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. Please call our office the next business day, so that we may schedule an appointment for you.

Loose Teeth

Don’t worry if it feels like your teeth are a little loose. This is a normal feeling. In order for your teeth to move, your braces must first loosen your teeth a bit. As they become repositioned they will no longer feel loose.

Wire Irritations

Sometimes discomfort caused by a wire on your braces can be resolved by moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small piece of cotton or a small amount of wax. If the wire is painful, you can cut it with nail clippers or scissors that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. If you cannot resolve the wire irritation, call our office for an appointment.

Lost Separators

Most patients lose a separator during their treatment. Do not worry about losing a separator, but call our office to see if it needs to be replaced.

Protecting Your Smile While Playing Sports

You can still play sports while in braces, but we recommend the use of a mouthguard to protect your teeth, mouth and appliance.

In the event of a sports emergency, check the mouth and appliance for any damage that may have happened. Contact our office if you notice any loose teeth or appliance. You may use wax on your appliance or a warm saltwater solution rinse to help alleviate any discomfort.