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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.
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.
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.
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.
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brushing