Life with Braces

Eating with Braces

What can you eat? Let's talk about what you shouldn't eat! If you've been wanting to drop a few pounds, the first week of wearing braces is just your chance! 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, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• 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 salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in eight ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headaches or similar pain. The lips, cheeks, and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the bracers. 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.

Care of Appliances

To successfully complete the treatment plan, 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, headgear or other appliances as prescribed. Damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time.

Brushing

It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy after 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.

Retainer Instructions

• Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise.
• Take your retainers out when eating and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
• Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water.
• Brushing retainers removes the plaque and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing.
• When retainers are not in your mouth, they should always be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
• Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading or singing out loud to get used to them faster.
• Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken, call us immediately if you have any questions or concerns about your retainers, or if your retainers need adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
• Always bring your retainer to your appointments.
• Retainer replacement is expensive; with proper care, they will last for several years!
• Remove retainers when swimming.
• Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine and napkins.
  

Fixed Expander Instructions

• Turn your expansion screws as instructed.
• Insert the key into the hole and turn towards the arrow.
• If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, stop turning the expander.