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| Life
with Braces | Braces in Action | Braces
Diagram | Brace Painter | Care Video |
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 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 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!
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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