Eating with Braces

Some Common Foods to Avoid When Wearing Braces:

• Chewy foods; fruit roll ups, licorice
• Crunchy foods; popcorn seeds, ice, pretzels
• 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.

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 several days. If the tenderness is severe, take a pain reliever or whatever you would normally take for a 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 will show you how!

Loosening of Teeth

This is to be expected throughout treatment. Do not worry! It is 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

Do not 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 spoon or the eraser end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax or wet cotton on the wire to reduce 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 your treatment plan, you must work together as a team with Dr. Johnson. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if prescribed appliances such as rubber bands, headgear or other appliances are consistently worn. Damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time.

Brushing

It is 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.

Athletics

If you play sports, it is important that you consult Dr. Johnson for special precautions. A protective mouth guard 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.

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