Life with Braces | Patient Care Videos | Types of Braces | Braces Diagram | Brace Painter | Types of Appliances | Color Your Retainer | Retainer Instructions | Palatal Expander Instructions | TADs | Emergency Care

Eating with Braces

What can you eat? For the first day or two, soft foods are probably best as you might be sore because your teeth are beginning to move already! Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, you will be back to eating your usual diet; the only difference may be how you eat certain foods. It is going to be really important to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat as long as you're 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 (broken brackets, wires and appliances)

Damaged braces will increase your treatment time. When the time comes, we will review how to eat the foods you love without causing damage to your braces.

General Soreness

After your braces are put on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth, and your teeth may be tender for three to five days. If the tenderness is severe, take ibuprofen or whatever you normally take for a headache or similar pain. Until your mouth becomes accustomed to the appliances, your 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 may also experience some canker sores or blisters. Wax can help alleviate the discomfort, as can rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously.

Loosening of Teeth

Loose teeth are to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved. Once treatment is complete, your 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 as this happens occasionally. If a wire protrudes and is irritating, carefully use a blunt instrument (back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil) to gently push the irritating wire 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.

Brushing

It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces! We want to make sure that your teeth and gums are healthy after orthodontic treatment. When you get your braces, we will review the proper way to brush and floss to maintain a healthy and beautiful smile. Some of the risk factors of poor oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment include cavities, decalcification of enamel ("white spots"), and gingivitis/periodontitis (gum disease).

Patients having a difficult time maintaining good oral hygiene may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning, and adults who have a history of gum disease should be monitored by a periodontist during orthodontic treatment.

Printable instructions >

Sports

Playing sports while wearing braces is not a problem at all – as long as you wear a mouthguard! Being hit in the mouth while wearing braces can be a very painful experience, and a mouthguard can help protect your lips and cheeks from trauma. Please ask if you have any questions regarding the mouthguard you are currently using, or if you would like us to provide you with one.

Back to Top