Living with braces

What food should I avoid while wearing braces?

You should still be able to eat most of your favorite foods during treatment. However, there are a few things we highly recommend avoiding that may damage your brackets.

We highly recommend that you refrain from:

• Chewing gum (except if sugar-free)
• Chewy or sticky candies such as taffy, etc.
• Hard, crunchy foods such as crusty bread, apples, etc. (It should be fine if you cut these into bite-sized pieces when eating.)
• Fruit juices (because of acidic content)
• Fizzy drinks, sports drinks, and flavored water (including diet varieties)

Please note: this is not an exhaustive list. If you have questions or concerns about foods you can eat during treatment, please don’t hesitate to consult our friendly team members.

How to solve minor orthodontic issues

Should you experience any of the following issues with your braces, here are some of our suggested solutions to help you temporarily relieve discomfort:

• General soreness: After fitting or adjustment appointments with braces, it is normal to feel some tenderness in your teeth. This should only last for three to five days. To relieve this, you may rinse your mouth with saltwater or take an over-the-counter pain reliever.
• Slight irritation: You may experience irritation on your lips, cheeks, or tongue after your appliance is fitted. This should only last one to two weeks as your mouth adjusts to your braces. You may put wax on the braces to lessen the friction. We’ll show you how.
• Poking wire: If a wire sticks out and causes irritation, you can use a pencil eraser and push the poking wire down (away from your gums or mouth). You may also opt to place orthodontic wax on top of it to prevent rubbing until you can come in for an appointment.
• Loose band or bracket: If the seal of the cement (glue) holding a band or bracket has been broken, call our office to schedule an appointment. If a band or bracket detaches from the wire, kindly save it and bring it with you.
• Broken archwire or headgear, lost ligature or hook: These issues could cause the teeth to move in the wrong direction and must be corrected as soon as possible. Call our office to schedule an appointment.