Eating with Braces

What can you eat? You can eat many things as long as you use a knife and fork, or spoon. You will need to stick to softer foods at first. And take human bites! Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. You will need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you are wearing braces.

Foods to Avoid

• 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.

General Soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth. Teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This tenderness may be relieved by rinsing your mouth with 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 Tylenol 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. We will give you wax to place on the braces to ease any discomfort.

Loosening of Teeth

The teeth loosen in order to move. Don't worry! It is normal. The teeth will become more rigid in their new corrected positions.

Loose Wire or Band

Don't be alarmed if a wire pokes or a bracket comes loose. These events do happen occasionally. If a wire protrudes and is irritating, use wax temporarily and call our office at your convenience for a comfort appointment. If a brace or any other part of your orthodontic appliance comes off, save it and bring it with you to the office.

Care of Appliances

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.

Brushing

It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces. The teeth and gums must stay are healthy for a good result. 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.

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