Congratulations on beginning your journey in braces!
We know you’ll love your result, but in the meantime, you might have a few questions. We’re happy to help you along every step of your journey.
Here are some tips to make your braces journey as simple as possible.
- Don’t forget to brush and floss regularly.
- Pack a braces care kit to keep with you at work, at school, and on the go. We recommend packing a travel toothbrush and toothpaste, floss, orthodontic wax, extra rubber bands, and anything else that will make your day go smoothly.
- Watch what you eat. Unfortunately, if you’ve opted for traditional bracket and wire braces, you’ll have to avoid certain foods throughout your treatment. This is to avoid damaging the brackets and wires. You’ll need to avoid anything too hard, sticky, chewy, or crunchy. We recommend avoiding foods such as:
- Caramels and chewy candies, such as licorice, taffy, Tootsie Rolls, Starbursts, etc.
- Nuts and popcorn
- Bagels, pizza crust, and crunchy or chewy bread
- Corn on the cob, apples, and anything other foods you have to bite directly into
- Don’t forget to visit your dentist. Keeping your teeth healthy is important to ensuring a great outcome. Maintain all regular visits with your dentist, and be sure to tell us any concerns you have about your oral health.
- If you are involved in contact sports or any activity where an injury to the mouth could occur, it is important to wear a properly fitting mouthguard. While this is always important, it is even more so while you are wearing braces. Injury to the mouth while in braces could be even more damaging, as the brackets and wires can cause additional injury to the lips, cheek, and tongue.
- Maintain all your follow-up visits with us and wear elastics as indicated. These are important to keep your treatment on track.
If you have any questions about your braces or treatment, don’t hesitate to ask! We’re here to help.
