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Life with Braces  Braces
in Action FAQs
 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.
- 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.
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 saltwater 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 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!
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.
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.
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.
- 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 your retainers
need adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
- Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
- Retainer replacement is expensive; with proper care they will last for years!
- Remove retainers when swimming.
- Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing
machine, and napkins.
- Wear your expander all the time. That means all day, during meals, and
while sleeping.
- Remove your expander only to brush your teeth. Brush your expander at least
twice a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Turn your expansion screws as instructed. Insert the key into the hole
and turn toward the arrow.
- If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, stop turning the
expander.
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.
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.
As a general rule,
an emergency appointment may be made when there is
severe pain, a loose band, a broken wire or something
sticking out that you can't take care of. It's important
to know the names of the parts of your appliances. It
will help, when you phone the office, to be able to identify
what part is broken or out of place.
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Brushing