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Daily Braces Care
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 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.
Parts of Your Braces
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 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness
is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache 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 braces. 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.
Athletics
If you play sports, it's
important that you consult us for special precautions. A protective mouthguard
is advised for playing contact sports. In case of any accident involving the
face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened
or the appliances damaged, phone at once for an appointment. In the meantime,
treat your discomfort as you would treat any general soreness.
Loose Wire or Band
Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens
occasionally. If wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (back
of 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 or wet cotton 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.
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