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Life With Braces | Braces in Action | Braces Diagram | Oral Care Video
 Eating with Braces
What can you eat? Let's talk about what you shouldn't eat! If you've been wanting to drop a few pounds, the first week wearing braces is just you chance! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.
Foods to Avoid
- Chewy foods: Bagels, hard rolls, licorice
- Crunchy foods: Popcorn, ice, chips
- Sticky foods: Caramels, bubble 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 and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. Force can actually be reduced rinsing your mouth with cold water because the high tech alloy wires respond to changes in temperature. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or Advil 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. Peroxyl rinse can be used to reduce the duration of soft tissue irritations. You can also place soft wax we dispense on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how.
Loosening of Teeth
This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved. The teeth will again become rigidly fixed in their new -corrected-positions.
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, or other orthopedic 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, so the teeth and gums are healthy during and after orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean or more prone to decalcification (white spots or scars), an increased incidence of cavities developing, gum swelling and bleeding will require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning and exam. Adults who have a history of gum disease should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment on a 3 or 4 month basis.
Retainer Instructions
- Wear your retainer full time, until the doctor instructs otherwise.
- Take your retainers out when eating…and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunchrooms or restaurants.)
- Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing.
- When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case.
- Beware! Pets love to chew on them!
- Initially, you may find it difficult to speak. Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud to get used to them faster.
- Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately.
- If you have any questions or concerns, about your retainers, or your retainers need adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust them yourself.
- Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
- Retainer replacement is expensive…with proper care they will last for years.
- Remove retainers when swimming.
- Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.
Removable Expander Instructions
- Wear your expander all the time. That means all day, during meals, and while sleeping.
- Remove your expander only to brush your teeth. Brush your expander at least twice a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Turn your expansion screws as instructed. Insert the key into the hole and turn toward the arrow. Never turn them more than once a week!
- If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, stop turning the expander until we see you.
Fixed expanders
- In our office we NEVER utilize rapid palatal expansion in non-surgical cases.
- Some type of a fixed expander may be used as part of an early interceptive treatment phase to help a narrow upper dental arch to develop properly. The expansion is done slowly to encourage dento-alveolar bone (tooth housing bone) to develop to it's full potential. Usually the appliance is turned once a week.
- Note: Arch width development can be readily achieved without the use of a fixed expander when utilizing the Damon System in more extensive phases of treatment.
- A fixed expander may also be utilized in conjunction with an orthopedic appliance to encourage forward growth and remodeling of the lower jaw (MARA or Herbst appliance).
- Turn your expansion screw as instructed. Insert the key and turn the screw toward the back of the mouth. Thorough instructions will be given at our office to make the process simple for the patient and/or parent.
- If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, stop turning the expander until we see you.
 Athletics
If you play sports, it's important that you consult us for special precautions. A protective mouth guard may be advised for playing contact sports. In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, phone at once for an appointment. In the meantime, treat your discomfort as you would treat any general sorenes
Orthopedic Appliances
- MARA Appliance: This is the most common orthopedic appliance utilized in this office for the correction of Class II skeletal problems (overbite and overjet). Usually the problem is evident facially, however, a head-plate X-Ray (cephalometric radiograph) is utilized to determine the extent of the problem and finalize the diagnosis. The MARA is a relatively new orthopedic appliance that I have been using since it's introduction to the profession in 1998. It has a number of advantages over other Class II correctors especially when it comes to patient comfort.
- Herbst Appliance: Another excellent Class II corrector. In our office we utilize a version that can be attached to the braces when needed.
- Headgear: The need for headgears has almost been eliminated in our office due to the above orthopedic appliances and the advanced brace system we utilize. Occasionally a high-pull headgear is still needed early in patients with excessive vertical growth. Generally this type of growth problem is more severe and requires diligent patient compliance to control.
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