Life With Braces – Frisco, TX
Getting the Most from Your Orthodontic Treatment
Foods to Avoid
Generally speaking, foods that are too hard or sticky must be avoided with braces. Hard foods can break or damage the brackets and wires. Sticky foods can get caught in between the brackets and wires and even pull brackets off your teeth. Examples of hard foods to avoid are ice, nuts, hard taco shells/hard chips, hard bread crust/pizza crust, corn on the cob, apples, and carrots (unless cut into small pieces), and hard candies (jolly ranchers, lollipops, etc). Some sticky foods to avoid would be gum (sugar-free or regular), toffee, caramel, and sticky candies (starburst, tootsie rolls, etc). You can still eat sugary foods with braces such as cake, ice cream, cookies, and pie but it is important to minimize these desserts because they can cause tooth decay and related problems. In addition, nail biting, pen and pencil chewing, and chewing on foreign objects must be avoided with braces because these objects can easily break braces/wires.
Playing Sports with Braces
You can still play sports while undergoing orthodontic treatment. However, it is recommended that you wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth and braces. During orthodontic treatment, it is important not to boil your mouthguard to customize it to your teeth. This can either prevent your teeth from moving as they should or break braces off your teeth. Therefore, you should use a standard non-customized mouthguard or get a mouthguard that is designed for orthodontics. Feel free to ask us for assistance in choosing the proper mouthguard to help protect your teeth and braces during this orthodontic journey.
Soreness Caused From Braces and Appliances
When you first get your braces, you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal and will decrease as you become accustomed to the braces/appliance. To relieve the pain, we recommend taking an over the counter pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil. It is also not uncommon for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces/appliance. Dry the area on your brace/appliance that is causing discomfort, take a pea-sized amount of wax and place it on the area. If you run out of wax please feel free to ask for more.