Eating With Braces -There will be some foods that may not be as easy to eat during your orthodontic treatment. Until you become accustomed to eating with braces, it may be helpful to eat a soft food diet. Foods to avoid include chewy, crunchy and sticky foods. Eating these foods can damage your braces and your teeth.

Examples of foods to avoid:

• Chewy foods like bagels, rolls, and licorice.
• Crunchy/Hard foods like popcorn, chips, and pretzels.
• Sticky foods like caramels, taffys, Starburst and Skittles.
• Foods you bite into like corn on the cob, apples, carrots and other raw fruits and vegetables.

As you get used to the braces, some of these foods can be cut up into small, bite sized pieces and consumed easily.

Soreness/Loosening of teeth- There may be some soreness in the days following your new braces. Your teeth may feel tender and sensitive to pressure. Some patients report no discomfort while others have some soreness which is usually gone in about one week. These feelings are common as it means your teeth are beginning to move. Your lips and cheeks may also need about 1-2 weeks to get used to having braces on your teeth and for your tissue to "toughen up." You may consider a non-prescription pain remedy like what you would use for headaches to help with any discomfort. Also, you can use special wax to cover the braces and prevent irritation. Dr. Todd will provide the wax you need and will show you where to put it.

Poking wire or loose bracket- Occasionally a wire will poke or a brace will even come loose from a tooth. Don’t become alarmed. It is important that you call our office as soon as possible, so that we can determine the nature of the problem and also schedule you to come in as soon as possible to get it fixed. In the meantime, if a wire is poking you can place some wax or wet cotton over it to alleviate the discomfort.

Caring for Appliances- If you wear a retainer, it should be taken out for eating and drinking. It is OK to brush them clean with regular toothpaste daily or even soak them in a denture cleaner.

Brushing- You can brush your teeth just like you would before braces. Flossing is also very important, but will take a little extra care and attention by threading it through the wires. If you brush and floss well throughout treatment, there is a better chance you will experience less gum or tissue inflammation and your treatment will be pain-free.

Athletics and Mouthguards- Dr. Todd highly recommends that anyone playing sports with braces should wear a mouthguard, especially if it is a contact sport like football, basketball or soccer. A mouthguard can help protect the braces from being hit as well as your entire mouth from injury. These guards are made out of plastic/rubber type material and can be custom made by Dr. Todd to prevent any potential injuries and protect your braces. They also come in a variety of colors!