Now that you have your braces, how do you take care of them? It’s important for you to know how to properly take care of your braces throughout your entire orthodontic treatment.

Eating with Braces

Don't worry: you'll be eating popcorn again in no time! However, before you can start enjoying some of the treats you love, you need to take special car to avoid any foods that could damage your new appliances.

Snack Suggestions

• FRUITS: Apples and pears (cut pieces), peaches, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, bananas, grapes, oranges. Any fresh fruit is good for you! Avoid fruit canned in heavy syrup.
• VEGGIES: Carrots (cut in pieces), broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, green peppers. Veggies are good for you too - the only one you'll probably want to avoid is corn on the cob because it is pretty hard to eat with braces on.
• SNACK FOOD: Cheese, bologna, ham, pepperoni, peanut butter, high fiber breads, rye crackers, unsweetened cereal, plain yogurt with fruit or artificially sweetened yogurt, sugar free Jell-O, sugarless gum.
• DRINKS: Sugar free sodas and soft drinks please! This is especially important the more you drink. Fruit juices, milk, sugar free hot cocoa, sugar free flavored sparkling water, sugar free Kool-Aid. And of course - water!

Foods to Avoid

Ice (please don't chew on it!), hard or chewy candy (caramels, taffy, Now & Laters, Sugar Daddies, Jolly Ranchers, Fireballs) hard bread, tough meats, nuts, popcorn, brussel sprouts (just kidding about the brussel sprouts - want to make sure you're paying attention!)

Remember - your appliances can be bent or broken by eating hard or sticky foods (replacing appliances slows down treatment, which can mean NOT getting them off as originally scheduled). Sugary foods and drinks can cause decay under your braces and leave unsightly white spots on your beautifully white teeth! Popcorn hulls can get caught under your gums and cause infection and bad breath. If you can't brush after a meal or snack, rinse or chew sugar free gum - but there is no substitute for brushing!

Soreness cause 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 for patients who have just gotten their braces on, and we promise your mouth will not be sore forever! Taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen and chewing sugarless gum will help relieve some of the soreness. It is also common for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces. We would be happy to give you some wax that you can put over the braces to lessen the tenderness. If you need some wax, please let us know!