Brushing and Flossing
It’s more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces to keep your teeth and gums healthy during orthodontic treatment. Patients who don’t maintain good oral hygiene may need more frequent visits to the dentist for professional cleanings. If you have a history of gum disease, seeing a periodontist during orthodontic treatment is also recommended to keep your gums healthy.
Watch the videos below on the proper care of braces during orthodontic treatment.
Eating with Braces
What can you eat? Let’s talk about what you shouldn’t eat! For the first few days, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, you’ll be able to bite into a cucumber again. But it’s important to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you have braces.
Foods to Avoid
- Chewy foods: bagels, licorice, thick rolls
- Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, hard pretzels
- Sticky foods: caramels, gum, taffy
- Hard foods: nuts, candy, hard candy
- Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
Chewing on hard objects like pens, pencils, or fingernails can also damage your braces, potentially causing treatment to take longer.
General Soreness
When you first get your braces on, you may experience general soreness in your mouth, and your teeth may be tender when biting for 3–5 days. You can take Tylenol or whatever you normally take for headaches or discomfort.
Your lips, cheeks, and tongue may also become irritated during the first one to two weeks, but this will go away as they toughen up and get used to the braces. Wax will be provided to place on the braces in areas that cause irritation, which can help lessen discomfort.
Rubber Band Wear
Cooperating with your Dr. [doctor-full name] is essential to successfully completing your orthodontic treatment. The teeth and jaws can only move into their correct positions if you consistently wear the rubber bands or other appliances as prescribed.
- Follow the Schedule: Wear your rubber bands as directed by your orthodontist, typically full-time, except when eating or brushing your teeth.
- Carry Extras: Keep spare rubber bands with you to ensure you can replace them if they break or get misplaced.
- Replace Regularly: Rubber bands lose their elasticity over time, so remember to replace them as needed to maintain the correct force.
Loose Wire or Band
If a wire or band comes loose, don’t be alarmed. This happens occasionally.
- If a wire is sticking out and irritating you, use a blunt instrument (like the eraser end of a pencil) to gently push the wire back under the archwire.
- If the wire continues to irritate, use wax or wet cotton to cover it to reduce discomfort.
- Call our office as soon as possible to schedule an appointment and get it fixed.
Loosening of Teeth
This is completely normal throughout treatment. Teeth must loosen in order to move into their new positions. Once the treatment is completed, your teeth will firm up in their corrected positions.
Athletics
For patients who participate in sports, protecting the mouth and braces is essential. We offer custom-fitted mouthguards designed to prevent injuries and ensure comfort during physical activities. These mouthguards are especially important for those with braces, as they help reduce the risk of injuries from brackets and wires. Please let us know about your involvement in sports so that we can provide the necessary protection.