Life With Braces

http://www.wardorthodontics.com/Braces-101/Life-With-Braces.aspx 

At Ward Orthodontics, we understand that you might have a lot of questions about what it’s like to have braces. Even after wearing braces for some time, you might forget what exactly you can and can’t eat with your wire brackets. As your local Twin Falls dentist, we’re here to help make life with braces easier for you. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of things you should know about life with braces.

 

Foods To Avoid With Braces

As a rule of thumb, you should avoid hard foods, sticky foods, and foods high in sugar when you’re wearing braces. Hard foods can break or damage the wire on your braces, while sticky foods can get caught in your brackets. Sugary foods often lead to tooth decay. Examples of common foods to avoid include:

 

• Gum (both sugar-free or regular)
• Sticky candy, like Tootsie Rolls, Starburst, licorice, caramel and toffee
• Nuts
• Hard taco shells
• Pizza crust and hard bread rolls
• Pretzels and bagels
• Corn on the cob
• Apples and carrots (unless sliced in to small pieces)
• Chips
• Beef jerky           

In addition to avoiding hard and stick foods, you should minimize or completely eliminate foods high in sugar from your diet. You can continue eating desserts, like ice cream, cake and soft cookies, but in moderation. Stay away from sweetened drinks, like soda, energy drinks, and sweet tea. We also strongly recommended avoiding habits like:

 

• Nail biting
• Pencil and pen chewing
• Chewing on foreign objects
• Chewing on ice

 

Solutions For Sore Gums and Mouth

You can expect some soreness in your mouth for the first few days following your braces or readjustment appointments. There are a couple of steps you can take to help alleviate the pain.

 

• Gargle lukewarm saltwater (one teaspoon of salt dissolved in a cup of water)
• Take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers
• Use a warm wash cloth or heating pad on your cheeks
   

Loose Braces Brackets or Bands

Call our office immediately if a bracket or wire is comes loose. It is important to have your bracket readjusted as soon as possible.  You may run into a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire. If you run into this problem during hours when an orthodontist is not available, you may use fingernail clippers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol to cut the wire. Please call our office the next business day, so that we can accommodate you.

 

 

Ask Your Twin Falls Orthodontist

Every smile is different, and there are various other questions you might across while wearing braces. Contact your Ward Orthodontics team for braces expertise. We are always more than happy to assist you with any orthodontic questions you might have. Don’t forget to book your regular check up appointments with us. You can give us a call to schedule!