LIFE WITH BRACES

We understand that wearing braces is definitely an adjustment! Our team is happy to provide you with tips about some things you’ll have to do a little differently to ensure that you’re taking proper care of your braces, and your teeth, during treatment.

 

Eating with braces

Eating certain foods can damage your braces and require additional trips back to the orthodontist’s office, so you’ll need to take care when choosing foods.

 

Some foods you should avoid with braces are:

 • Chewy foods like soft candy, licorice and bagels

 • Crunchy foods like potato chips, popcorn, and ice

 • Sticky foods like gum and caramel candy

 • Hard foods like hard candies and nuts

 • Foods that you bite into like apples, carrots, and corn on the cob

 

Some foods you can enjoy with braces are:

 • Dairy such as pudding, soft cheese, and milk-based drinks

 • Breads like pancakes, soft tortillas, muffins without nuts

 • Grains like soft cooked rice and pasta

 • Meats and poultry such as meatballs, lunch meats, and soft cooked chicken

 • Seafood like salmon, crab cakes and tuna

 • Vegetables like beans, mashed potatoes, and steamed spinach

 • Fruits including applesauce, bananas, and fruit juice

 • Treats like ice cream (without nuts), milkshakes, soft cake and Jell-O

 

How can I deal with soreness or discomfort caused from braces and orthodontic appliances?

 

You will possibly feel some soreness when braces and expanders are first started or after an adjustment. Don’t worry! The soreness does go away rather quickly, and you can combat the pain by dissolving one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water. Swish and then gargle the solution for a couple of minutes, but don’t swallow the saltwater.

 

You’ll feel your teeth wiggle just a bit after getting your braces, and you should know that it’s perfectly normal. In order to push your teeth into the right positon, they have to first loosen just a bit. After your teeth have been positioned and are in the right place, that feeling will go away. For severe pain that isn’t alleviated by rinsing, you can take a pain reliever. If your tongue, cheeks, lips, or gums are also sore while they adjust to the braces, we can give you some wax to apply to your braces. It’ll cover up any parts of the braces that are irritating the inside of your mouth. Just let our clinical team know if you need some!

 

What happens if the wires or elastics become loose?

 

Sometimes, the elastics and wire that help hold the braces together will become loose. If this happens, call us as soon as possible so that we can get you into the office to check your appliance. If a repair is necessary, we’ll fix it. If a bracket has broken or fallen off, bring it to our office.

We can share some temporary, do-it-yourself fixes too. Use the eraser end of a pencil or the back of a spoon to gently push a wire that has popped out of the bracket into place again. If the wire is sharp and is irritating the inside of your mouth, cover it with wax or a wet cotton ball.

 

Can I play sports with braces?

Sports are a huge part of many of our patients’ lives. While in treatment, you will be able to play your sport of choice. However, we recommend that you wear a mouthguard so that both your teeth and braces are protected while playing. If you have any questions about how to find the right mouthguard, ask a member of our clinical team.If you hurt yourself while playing any kind of sports, check your mouth and the appliance for any damage. If you have loose teeth or loose brackets, please contact us immediately!