Life with braces

Hygiene

Now that you have your braces, it’s important that you learn to take care of them. This includes being careful with what you eat and keeping your teeth and gums clean.

Eating with braces

Don’t worry; you’ll be eating popcorn and snacking on potato chips again in no time! Before you can start enjoying some of the treats you love, however, you will need to take special care to avoid any foods that could damage your new appliances.

FOODS TO AVOID

  • Chewy, sticky foods: gummies, licorice, taffy, caramels, gum
  • Hard foods: corn nuts, hard candies, nuts, popcorn (un-popped kernels)
  • Non-food items: ice, pens, pencils, sweaters, etc.

LIMIT OR EAT DIFFERENTLY

  • Foods with a hard center- corn, peaches, ribs (cut off the cob/pit/bone)
  • Bulky, chewy foods- bagels, pizza crust, crusty breads (rip into smaller pieces)
  • Hard foods- apples, carrots (cut up and chew in the back)
  • Sugary foods- limit or be sure to rinse or brush after

FOODS YOU CAN EAT

  • Foods with a hard center- corn, peaches, ribs (cut off the cob/pit/bone)
  • Bulky, chewy foods- bagels, pizza crust, crusty breads (rip into smaller pieces)
  • Hard foods- apples, carrots (cut up and chew in the back)
  • Sugary foods- limit or be sure to rinse or brush after

Cleaning your braces

Brushing

Flossing

Proxy Brush

Emergency Care

True orthodontic emergencies are rare but when they occur, we are available. Don’t hesitate to call our office if you are experiencing severe pain or have a painful appliance issue that you are unable to resolve yourself. We will be happy to schedule you an appointment.

You may be surprised to know that you can often solve some of these issues at home, at least temporarily. Even if you are no longer in pain, it is important to call the office in a timely manner to have the issue repaired.

Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period may result in disruptions to your treatment.

Unless you are in pain, a loose piece is not an emergency. Call the office to make an appointment for a repair. If you can, remove the loose piece and bring it to your appointment in a plastic bag or envelope.

Please call us to schedule an appointment if a bracket comes off. If you already have an appointment let us know ahead of time that you have a loose bracket. If the bracket is still on the wire, you can use wax to make it more comfortable. If it is off the wire, place the bracket in an envelope or bag and bring it in.

If your braces are poking you, dry the area with a paper towel and place wax on it. If the wire has slid to one side, you can pull it back to the other side with needle-nosed pliers, and replace it in the tube on the back tooth. Another option is to use a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it so it is no longer poking.

Follow us on Youtube to see how to handle different emergencies at home

Pokey Wire

Wax

Bent Wire

Broken Bracket