OK, here's the story. Orthodontists attach braces to your teeth with a small amount of cement (Braces are not bolted, riveted, nailed, welded, or chemically melted to your teeth; a less permanent method is usually preferred). This cement is designed to hold the brackets and bands against your teeth during normal orthodontic treatment, and, when it's time to remove the braces, scrapes off your teeth easily without leaving any permanent marks . It doesn't take much force to remove or "break" the braces off your teeth. That's good because it allows for easy removal when the time is right. However, it's also bad for you because any heavy force put on your braces could break them off and extend the treatment time.
Hard and sticky foods will break off brackets, bend wires and loosen bands, which, in turn, will extend your treatment time. Foods high in sugar content could cause cavities, calculus build up, and ugly stains on your teeth.
So what can you do? Well, you must limit your diet to soft and healthy foods. I'm not saying you can only eat broccoli and mashed potatoes while wearing braces. There are just certain types of food that need to be avoided while wearing braces.
AVOID EATING THESE THINGS:
Hard foods-
Anything that is hard cannot be chewed with braces on. Remember, braces are fragile, and strong forces from hard foods will break them off. Damaged appliances will extend treatment time. Extended treatment time will increase the risk of cavities and stains on your teeth.
Sticky foods-
Braces can be pulled apart with sticky foods. Again, this could extend your treatment time.
Anything high in sugar-
Braces make it harder to keep your teeth clean. Sugar will feed the bacteria that cause cavities. If you do eat any foods high in sugar, brush your teeth immediately.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT TO AVOID
Ice....Definitely NO!! It totally destroys braces.
Nuts
Peanut brittle
Hard pizza crust
Corn on the cob
Ribs
Doritos, corn chips, hard tacos, cheetos, fritos and the like
Popcorn
Hard pretzels
Hard rolls and bagels
Raw carrots
Bubble gum
Carmel candy
Beef jerky
Suckers
This is just a small list. Remember, nothing hard, sticky, or sweet!
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. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a 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 aspirin 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. You can put wax 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.
Loose Wire or Band
Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. If wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (back of spoon or the eraser end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax or wet cotton on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair the appliances. If any piece 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 so the teeth and gums are healthy after orthodontic treatment. 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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