Eating with Braces
 What can you eat? Let's talk about what you shouldn't eat! If you've been wanting to drop a few pounds, the first week wearing braces is just your chance! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. You'll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you're wearing braces.
Avoid:
Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
Sticky foods: caramel, gum
Hard foods: nuts, candy
Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage your braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.
General Soreness
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!
How will you feel?
We offer outstanding comfort using the Damon System that uses a unique slide mechanism that reduces pressure on your teeth and allows them to move more comfortably to their correct positions. This revolutionary new approach to orthodontics ensures greater comfort throughout treatment. If you should experience discomfort, Tylenol, Advil or Motrin should help. It is difficult to predict how every patient will feel, but if you find that you experience discomfort more often, for maximum effectiveness, you may choose to take such medications before your appointments.
Loosening of Teeth
This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved. The teeth will again become rigidly fixed in their new, corrected positions.
Care of Appliances
To successfully complete the treatment plan, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands, headgear or other appliances as prescribed. Damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time.
Brushing
It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy after orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment.
Retainer Instructions:
- After your braces are removed, wear your retainers every night while sleeping, until Dr. Neale instructs you otherwise.
- Take your retainers out when eating... and always put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
- Clean retainers thoroughly once a day with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing.
- When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
- Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care. If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately.
- If you have any questions or concerns about your retainers, call us. Do not try to fix it them yourself.
Always bring your retainers to your appointments. Dr. Neale needs to check them!
- Retainer replacement is expensive... with proper care they will last for years!
- Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and napkins.
Athletics
If you play sports, it's important that you consult us for special precautions. A protective mouthguard is advised for playing contact sports. If you would like a mouthguard, please talk to any member of our team. We provide mouthguards to our patients at no cost. In case of any accident involving the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, phone at once for an appointment. In the meantime, treat your discomfort as you would treat any general soreness.
Loose Wire or Band
Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. If wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (the back of aspoon or the eraser end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way. If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax or wet cotton on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair the appliances. If any piece comes off, save it and bring it with you to the office.
You and Your Braces
 Help prevent white spots! Specially formulated for orthodontic patients
Phos-Flur Rinse is a sodium fluoride and acidulated phosphate topical solution. Safe, great-tasting, and easy-to-use, Phos-Flur Rinse provides proven fluoride uptake, penetration, and retention
In an effort to promote excellent oral hygiene and prevention of Orthodontic decalcification (white spots) Colgate Phos-Flur rinse is provided to each patient who starts treatment with our office. Phos-Flur rinse is an anti-cavity fluoride rinse that has been shown to be effective in the prevention of decay, it promotes remineralization and studies have shown that patients can experience up to a 58% reduction in white spots when using this product.
In addition to our fluoride rinse, each patient who starts treatment with our office will receive a Sonicare Xtreme toothbrush. This brush is the first sonic toothbrush designed specifically for preteens and teens to encourage better brushing habits
During orthodontic treatment it is very difficult to keep teeth and gums clean and healthy. If plaque collects around braces and brackets it may cause: Inflammation, bleeding, cavities and discoloration. Sonicare's patented sonic technology creates dynamic fluid cleaning action. It is clinically proven to remove more plaque than a manual toothbrush and is safe and gentle for everyday use with braces.
Problems and Solutions and Repair Appointments
You may be able to solve many problems with your braces temporarily until you can call our office the next day to schedule a repair appointment.
- For a loose bracket or band that is still attached to the wire, leave
it in place. For a loose wire, try to place it back in the slot with tweezers. If that is not possible, clip the wire with fingernail clippers behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If uncomfortable, place wax on it.
- For a poking wire, try to push the wire down with a spoon or eraser.
If not possible, place wax on it. If your appliance does not fit, is lost or broken, be sure to call us. Dr. Neale is available after hours; just follow the voice mail prompts when you call our office and Dr. Neale or a staff member will return your call promptly.
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