Life with braces

Now that you have your braces, how do you take care of them? It’s important for you to know how to properly take care of your braces throughout your entire orthodontic treatment.

Brushing Your Teeth with Braces

When you have braces it’s very important to brush and floss after every meal in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your treatment. Please focus your tooth brushing efforts around the gum line of your teeth.  Brush half on the gums!  If you need help choosing the right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, please ask us and we can help you choose the right products for your teeth and your appliance.  Proper oral hygiene will ensure prevention of permanent stains (white spot lesions) or even cavities on your teeth.

Soreness caused from braces and appliances

When you first get your braces, you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal for patients who have just gotten their braces put on, and we promise your mouth will not be sore forever! To relieve the slight discomfort, we recommend dissolving one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water. Swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for just a couple of minutes (do not swallow the salt water).

If the slight discomfort is more severe and does not go away after rinsing, you can also try taking whatever you take when you don't feel well. It is also not uncommon for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces. We would be happy to give you some wax that you can put over the braces to lessen the tenderness. If you need some wax, please let us know!

What Can I Eat While Wearing Braces?

You've probably heard from your parents, friends, and even your orthodontist, the long list of foods and beverages that you should avoid while wearing braces. While it may seem like you're giving up a lot, it is important to avoid eating certain foods. We also want you to enjoy your braces experience, so here's a quick list of foods to avoid and foods to embrace while wearing braces.

Foods to avoid while wearing braces:

• Chewy foods — bagels, licorice
• Crunchy foods — popcorn, chips, ice
• Sticky foods — caramel candies, chewing gum
• Hard foods — nuts, hard candies
• Foods that require biting into — corn on the cob, apples, carrots