Life with Braces
Eating with Braces
Eating with your braces can be a bit challenging at first. The braces are bonded to your teeth but are not permanent, and are designed to break away when your treatment is complete. If you are not careful when you are eating you can break away the appliances before your treatment is complete. Broken appliances have to be replaced and delay your treatment completion. So what can you eat? You will be able to enjoy many of the same foods, but you should avoid any foods that are sticky, chewy, or hard. Some foods that you are used to biting into such as pizza crust, apples, corn on the cob, or raw vegetables, need to be cut into small pieces and chewed very carefully.
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 (Cut these foods into small pieces and chew very carefully)
- 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 your 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 rinse. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously two to three times per day for three to five days. If the tenderness is severe, take ibuprofen or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. A softer diet for three to five days can also dramatically help as well as eating cold foods. This is the perfect excuse for some ice cream or a shake!
Lastly, 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 braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen your discomfort. You may even develop an ulcer which can be very painful. Placing Orabase on the affected area may help; we can provide you with a complimentary tube or it can be found in your local pharmacy.
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 a 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 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.
