Congratulations on taking the first steps towards developing the most beautiful smile you’ve ever had! Keep the following tips in mind to make sure that treatment goes well.
Food & Braces
There are certain foods that we need you to avoid, as they can damage your braces or get stuck in inconvenient places. In particular, we want you to cut hard or sticky foods out of your diet. Some Common examples of foods to stay away from include: Foods you should try to avoid with braces:
- Sticky candy such as toffee or jube jubes
- Hard foods like apples and carrots should be cut into small pieces
- Corn on the cobb needs to be cut off the cobb
- Popcorn
- Gum
- Nuts
- Hard crusty breads
Caring for your Braces
Good oral hygiene is always important, but it’s absolutely vital when you’re wearing braces (as they provide sneaky places for food to stick and bacteria to lurk). We recommend that you brush your teeth three times a day and floss them once a day, and if you don’t have the opportunity to do this at school then you should set aside some time to do it when you get home. If you’re struggling to keep your teeth clean, contact us to found out about additional products that can help you. When you come for checkups or adjustments, our assistants will let you know how you are doing when it comes to dental hygiene. If you’re doing a good job, you will be rewarded! In addition, if you have concerns that your braces have become damaged, do not fret, it is likely not an emergency. Please call our office to let us know and we can schedule you in for repairs as needed.
Brushing with Braces
Cleaning around Brackets
Flossing with Braces
Retention
Once you’ve completed active treatment and have a dazzling new smile at your disposal, you’ll need to wear clear retainers after we remove your braces. Your retainers will help to make sure that your teeth stay straight, and we will give you clear instructions that let you know when and how you should wear them. In most cases, you will need to wear them in bed at night.
