What can you eat? Let’s talk about what you should not eat! You’ll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you’re wearing braces.
Avoid:

• Sticky foods: caramels, taffy, licorice, starburst, tootsie rolls, gummy candy

• Gum: avoid all gum, even sugarless

• Brittle, hard pretzels, crackers, corn chips and taco shells

• Be careful with: popcorn, nuts, lollipops, sucking candy

• Cut up: steak, apples, carrots, corn on the cob, spareribs, etc.

Chewing on hard things (i.e. pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Broken appliances will prolong overall treatment time.

General Soreness

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and the teeth may be tender to biting pressures for one to five days. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are very helpful for relieving tooth tenderness following adjustment appointments. The lips, cheeks and tongue also can become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. Our special orthodontic wax can be applied to the braces to lessen this temporary discomfort. 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. They will again become firm in their new corrected positions.

Brushing your teeth

Brushing and flossing your teeth can be challenging when wearing braces but it is extremely important that you do it consistently. It is more important that ever to brush 3 times a day and floss once a day when you have braces. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults should see their dentist or periodontist every 3 months during orthodontic treatment.

Toothbrush bristles should be soft and do NOT use whitening toothpaste if you have braces on. If you do, the whitening will only occur on the part of the tooth that is not covered by the brace. When your braces are removed you will have uneven whitening of your teeth.

Care of Appliances

Be sure to remember to wear your retainer! Remove them when you are swimming in a pool or the ocean. They are easily lost while in the water. Don’t leave retainers in a closed car. The heat can warp retainers so that they will not fit properly. Always carry the retainer case with you. Don’t forget to put your name and phone number on the case.

Use these tips for retainer care:

• Rinse retainers in cold water and store them in their cases each time you remove them. Never use hot water to rinse, wash, or soak retainers. They could warp.

• Brush wire retainers with toothpaste and clear retainers with soap.

• Soak your retainer in a denture cleaner once per week.

• Call the office right away if you break or lose your retainer.

Athletics

While playing sports, it’s important to consult Dr. Cohen first for special precautions. A protective mouth guard is advised for playing contact sports. In case of an accident involving the face, check your mouth and appliance immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, phone our office at once for an appointment.

DO NOT wear the boil and bite mouthguards available in stores. Dr. Cohen will provide an orthodontic mouthguard to patients needing them. Just ask for one at your next visit or give us a call and stop in to pick one up.

Loose Bracket, Band or Wire

Don’t be alarmed if a wire, bracket or band comes loose. Occasionally this happens. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax on the wire to reduce the discomfort. Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to repair the appliances. Remember that treatment time may be prolonged if broken appliances are left unattended for long periods of time.

Emergency Care

In general, there are not too many emergencies with braces. If you are in pain, you may contact Dr. Cohen on her cell phone which is listed on the answering service message.