Life with braces

Food

Two categories cause problems. Hard foods can fracture a bracket or bend a wire. Sticky foods pull brackets off and are difficult to clean out of the appliance.

Avoid: ice, hard candy, nuts, popcorn, hard taco shells, pretzels, crusty bread, whole raw carrots and apples, corn on the cob, chewing gum, caramel, and caramel chews.

Modify rather than avoid: cut apples, carrots, and corn off the cob into pieces. Most raw vegetables and firm fruit are fine once they are cut small.

Everything else can be eaten normally.

The first week. Stick to soft food while the teeth are sore. Pasta, eggs, yogurt, soup, smoothies, soft fruit.

Cleaning

Brackets and wires trap food and give plaque more surface to hold on to. Decalcification, which shows as permanent white marks on the enamel, happens when plaque sits against the tooth around a bracket for weeks. Early marks can fade over time, and a dentist can improve some of them, but they often do not disappear completely.

Brush after every meal. Angle the brush to clean above and below each bracket, not just across the front.

Clean between the teeth once a day. Floss threaders, orthodontic floss with a stiffened end, or a water flosser all work. A water flosser is faster and most patients stick with it.

An interdental brush is useful for cleaning directly under the wire.

Use a fluoride toothpaste. Dr. Cen may recommend a higher-strength fluoride rinse or gel depending on your decay risk.

Keep seeing your general dentist for cleanings during orthodontic treatment. Every six months at minimum. Many patients in braces are advised to go every three to four months.

If something breaks

Most of these are not urgent. Call the office and we will arrange the soonest appointment we can.

A bracket comes loose. If it is still on the wire, leave it and call. If it has come off entirely, keep it and bring it in.

A wire is poking. Push it flat with the eraser end of a pencil, or cover the end with orthodontic wax. If it is long enough to be cut, do not cut it yourself unless you have been told to.

A tie comes off. Not urgent. Mention it at your next visit unless the wire is loose as a result.

Soreness after an adjustment. Normal for a day or two. Over-the-counter pain relief and soft food.

Mouth ulcers or irritation. Common in the first two weeks. Wax over the bracket that is rubbing. A warm salt water rinse helps.

A tooth feels loose. Expected. Teeth loosen slightly as they move and firm up once movement stops.

Genuine emergencies are facial trauma, a suspected jaw fracture, or severe swelling. Those need immediate medical attention rather than an orthodontic appointment.

Sport

Wear a mouthguard for any contact sports. An orthodontic mouthguard is designed to fit over brackets. A standard boil-and-bite guard molded to unbraced teeth will not fit correctly and can interfere with tooth movement.

Playing a wind instrument

Brass and woodwind players adapt within a few weeks. Bracket covers or wax help during the adjustment period. Tell Dr. Cen at the consult if you play, since it can affect bracket placement.