Life With Braces

Don't worry; you will be eating popcorn and snacking on potato chips again in no time! However, you need to wait till we perfect your smile. It is going to require some effort from you to take care of these new appliances that are going to give you the beautiful smile that you have always hoped for.

Foods to avoid with braces:

• Chewy foods - beef jerky, gummy bears
• Crunchy foods - popcorn, chips, ice
• Sticky foods - caramel candies, chewing gum
• Hard foods - nuts, hard candies
• Foods that require biting into - corn on the cob, apples, carrots

Use common sense when choosing food to put in your mouth and avoid chewing on hard objects such as pens, pencils and fingernails. Eating hard and sticky foods will loosen the braces, but you may not discover the problem until hours or days later. Loose bands, broken wires, and detached brackets cause a longer treatment time. We are sure you don't want that!

Foods you CAN eat with braces:

• Dairy - soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
• Breads - soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins w/o nuts
• Grains - pasta, soft cooked rice
• Meats/poultry - soft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
• Seafood - tuna, salmon, crab cakes
• Vegetables - mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
• Fruits - applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
• Treats - ice cream w/o nuts, milkshakes, Jell-O, soft cake

The day you get your braces, you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal and we promise your mouth will not be sore forever! To relieve the pain, we recommend dissolving one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water. Swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for just a couple of minutes (do not swallow the salt water).

If the pain is severe and does not go away after rinsing, you can also try taking an over-the-counter pain reliever. We have found that Ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) works best. It is also not uncommon for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces. We will provide you with some orthodontic wax that you can put over the braces to lessen the tenderness.

If your teeth begin to feel a little loose in the first few days after getting your braces or an adjustment appointment, don't worry; this is normal! Your braces must first loosen your teeth in order to move them into the right position. Once your teeth have been repositioned, they will no longer be loose.

The wires and bands on your braces may come loose. If this happens, please contact us as soon as possible, we will determine whether you need to see us right away or it can wait until your regular appointment. If any piece of your appliance comes off, be sure to save it and bring it to the office with you. Please refer to our Emergency Care page for further information on this topic.

You can still play sports while undergoing orthodontic treatment. However we do recommend you wear a mouthguard in order to protect your teeth and your appliance. In case of a sports emergency, be sure to immediately check your mouth and your appliance for any damage that may have occurred. If you notice any loose teeth, or if your appliance has been damaged, please contact our office or your dentist right away.

403.457.7700