General Soreness
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for 3 – 5 days. If discomfort occurs, take over-the-counter pain medication as directed.
Brushing and Flossing
It’s important to brush and floss regularly when you have braces so your teeth and gums are healthy during orthodontic treatment. We recommend professional dental cleanings every 3-6 months. Adults who have a history of gum disease should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment.
Loose Wire or Band
If a wire sticks out and is irritating:
- Use the eraser end of a pencil to gently push back the irritating end of the wire
- Place wax or a wet cotton ball over the broken wire
Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair.
Rubber Band Wear
To successfully complete orthodontic treatment, 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 or other appliances as prescribed.
Athletics
A protective mouthguard is provided for playing contact sports.
Eating with Braces
What can you eat? Let’s talk about what you shouldn’t eat! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard bread, and raw vegetables. Before long, you’ll be able to bit an apple again. But you’ll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you’re wearing braces.
Foods to Avoid
- Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
- Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice
- Sticky foods: caramels, gum
- Hard foods: nuts, candy
- Foods you have to bit into such as 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.
