Caring For Your Braces

The First Week

Dr. G recommends eating softer foods for the first week after you get your braces. This may actually be more comfortable for you as well as your teeth will become sore. This will usually last for three to four days. Your teeth may not touch when your close down – this is temporary. You may also notice some oral irritations such as ulcers, which usually disappear after about 10 days. Orthodontic wax, which can be found in the toothpaste aisle of pharmacies and discount stores, can be rolled into a ball and placed on dry brackets around the area causing irritation. Zilactin-B, an over-the-counter gel has temporary numbing properties, which can ease discomfort.

Foods

After the first week, you can eat most of the good things you eat now. However, you should not eat hard, sticky, gooey or crunchy foods while wearing braces, as this could pull or knock the braces off your teeth. Pop, KoolAid and sports drinks are high in sugar and/or acidic products and should be avoided to eliminate the formation of white scars (decalcification).

Foods to avoid include:

Jolly Ranchers
Life Savers
Starbursts
Caramels
Tortilla chips
Hard taco shells
Jerky
Corn on the Cob
Popcorn
Meats on the bone
Pizza crusts
French bread crusts

Hard fruits and vegetables need to be cut into small, bite-size pieces.  You should also avoid chewing on pens, pencils, fingernails or ice. Avoiding such things can help you reach your treatment goals on schedule.

Oral Hygiene

The most important thing for you to do throughout treatment is to keep your braces clean. Even a small snack can cause stains or discoloration of your teeth if food particles are not properly removed after eating. For that reason, Dr. G encourages all his patients to brush their braces and teeth thoroughly after every meal and snack. If you are unable to brush your teeth, try rinsing your mouth with water to loosen food that might otherwise remain trapped in your braces. Be sure to maintain a regular dental cleaning schedule with your family dentist as well. View our oral hygiene flash feature >>>

Hygiene Products

Colgate Prevident 5000 Booster: Dr. G recommends using this gel every time you brush instead of the toothpaste you normally use.  It requires a prescription, which is available in our office.

Proxabrushes: These “Christmas Tree” shaped brushes should be used after every tooth brushing to clean the area around the brackets and under the wires. They can be found in the toothpaste aisle of pharmacies and discount stores.

Floss/Floss Threaders: Even though it is a little tricky, you must floss. Various companies, such as Crest and Oral B, have developed special floss for use with braces. Again, these can be found in the toothpaste aisle of pharmacies and discount stores.

Toothbrush: any soft-bristle brush will work. You may also use an electric brush if you like.

Quick Tips

  • Don’t eat food that is hard, sticky, crunchy or chewy.
  • Don’t pick or pull on your braces.
  • Learn the names of the parts of your braces. This will help you talk to us about any problems you may have.
  • Always carry a travel toothbrush and proxabrush with you to keep your braces clean.