Taking Care of Your Braces
Having braces is much more comfortable than it used to be, especially when you get your braces at our Henderson orthodontic practice. That’s because we offer the latest orthodontic technology and treatments! However, there are still adjustments you’ll want to make to ensure you keep your braces safe and maximize your treatment to get the best possible results.
Brushing and Flossing With Braces
Brushing and flossing are super important when you have braces. While our Damon ™ braces do collect less plaque and bacteria than conventional braces, you still have extra hardware in your mouth to work around. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your braces and teeth sparkling clean and healthy:
- Brush in the morning, after meals and snacks, and before bed using a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head. Electric and sonic toothbrushes are perfectly safe to use as well when brushing with braces.
- If you’re not home and you get food stuck in your braces, use an interdental brush to gently dislodge it.
- Rinsing your mouth out really well with water until you’re able to brush again is another good way to get rid of food and also keeps sugar from sitting on your teeth.
- Floss your teeth at least once daily. Use a floss threader or orthodontic flosser to make things easier.
- Continue to see your regular dentist every six months.
Eating With Braces
You may have heard from friends and family members that you won’t be able to eat some of your favorite foods while you’re in braces treatment. That’s true – if your favorite food is hard candy.
In reality, you can still eat most of the foods you love as long you steer clear of anything that could cause you to lose a bracket, break a wire or get a bunch of sticky food stuck in your braces.
When you first get your braces put on and sometimes after appointments, your teeth can be slightly sensitive. If that’s the case, sticking with soft foods and cold foods and drinks, such as mashed potatoes, smoothies, oatmeal, ice water, soup and yogurt, is a good idea until you feel ready to resume your normal eating habits.
Foods You Can Eat With Braces
- Dairy — soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
- Breads — soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins without nuts
- Grains — pasta, soft-cooked rice
- Meats/poultry — soft-cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
- Seafood — tuna, salmon, crab cakes
- Vegetables — mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, beans
- Fruits — applesauce, bananas, sliced fruit, most berries (but watch out for seeds)
- Treats — ice cream without nuts, milkshakes, Jell-O, cake
Foods to Avoid With Braces
- Chewy foods — bagels, licorice
- Crunchy foods — popcorn, chips, ice
- Sticky foods — caramel candies, chewing gum (sugar-free gum is okay)
- Hard foods — nuts, hard candies
- Foods you have to bite into — corn on the cob, apples, carrots
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