Life with Braces

Congratulations on getting your braces! Now that you have them, you’ll need to learn how to care of them.

You need to be careful of what you eat and be diligent about brushing and flossing, but by the time you’re done with treatment, you’ll have a beautiful, confident Hollywood smile. Trust us — it’s worth it!

 

 

Eating with Braces

Unfortunately, you’ll have to avoid a lot of “fun” foods while you’re in braces. It won’t be forever, and by the end of treatment, you’ll have a smile worth the sacrifices you’ve made.

While you have braces, avoid anything that is sticky or hard such as gum, candy, caramel, toffee, Tootsie Rolls, Starbursts, licorice, gummy bears, and taffy. Hard food, like nuts, chips, bagels, pizza crusts, pretzels, jerky, popcorn, and ice, are out as well. You can have hard fruits, such as apples for example, but they’ll need to be cut in small pieces.

Use your best judgment when eating and choose softer, non-sticky foods: grapes, apple sauce, yogurt, cheese, Jell-O, pudding, and meat/fruit/veggies cut in smaller pieces.

For the first few days after you get your braces, be careful and watch what you eat to avoid any breakages. Choosing a soft-food diet will also give you time to get used to eating with appliances.

Home Care

 

 

Brushing and Flossing

You will need to brush your teeth and braces a total of two minutes (30 seconds in each quadrant) at least three times a day, preferably right after you eat. An electric toothbrush, air flosser, and/or water pic are all great investments when you have braces.

Take time to get around each of the brackets and the wires/ties, to ensure that food/plaque does not build up in the area. When flossing, use a threader to help maneuver floss around the brackets and reach in between the gums.

Soreness

When your braces are first placed and with each adjustment thereafter, you will experience a small amount of soreness. We recommend taking a pain reliever as directed to reduce discomfort, and use dental wax to reduce mouth abrasions from the brackets.

Loose Teeth

The nature of orthodontics requires that teeth become a little loose in order to move into their proper positions. When treatment is complete, your teeth will become stable once again.

Loose Wires or Bands

Wires connect to the brackets with ties or rubber bands. The wire is what connects each of the brackets that moves your teeth. If you notice that a wire or band has become loose, contact our Orlando orthodontic office as soon as possible so we can check and repair your appliance.

You can fix the loose wire temporarily by using the back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil to push the wire carefully and gently back into place. If the loose wire is causing irritation to your lips or cheeks, put wax or a wet cotton ball over the broken wire to relieve the pain.

If you have additional questions about taking care of your teeth, braces, and appliances, don’t hesitate to ask any member of our Orlando, FL orthodontic team!