When you undergo orthodontic treatment, there are certain things you should be aware of so that you or your child can get the absolute most out of your experience. As you may have already gathered, there are some food restrictions, soreness, and emergency situations that may occur during your treatment, so it’s important for you to be aware of the potentials so that we can better solve whatever issues may arise together.
Braces and Food
As you may have gathered, there are some food restrictions when it comes to having braces. You can look at this as a bad thing or a good thing, though; if you’ve been wanting to lose a few pounds, the first week of having braces is your opportunity, as you can usually only eat soft foods for a few days until your mouth adjusts. Even after your discomfort is gone, there are certain things you should avoid eating throughout treatment as they can damage your hardware.
Let’s take a look at what food you should avoid throughout your treatment.
- Chewy foods such as bagels, hard rolls, and licorice.
- Crunchy foods like popcorn, ice, and chips.
- Sticky foods such as caramels or gum.
- Hard foods like nuts or candy.
- Food you have to bite into such as apples, corn on the cob, and carrots.
- And this isn’t exactly food, per se, but you should avoid chewing on hard things like pencils, pen caps, and fingernails with braces as this can damage your hardware and increase the amount of time your treatment takes.
Soreness or Discomfort
When you first get your braces put on, you may experience some soreness or tenderness as your teeth adjust to the beginning stages of being aligned. Braces use time and pressure to straighten your teeth, and this pressure manifests as soreness of the gums and teeth, especially at first before your mouth toughens up. You may experience similar soreness after an adjustment, as your teeth are gradually being pushed and shifted into their proper places.
One way to solve this problem and relieve some of the soreness is to rinse your mouth out with a warm salt water rinse. Just dissolve one teaspoon of salt into an eight ounce glass of warm water and then vigorously rinse your mouth with it. If this doesn’t relieve the soreness or you’re still experiencing discomfort, you can take an aspirin or other headache medicine that you normally take.
In part two of this article, we’ll discuss some other things you should be aware of when you have braces.
If you or your child are ready to find out whether you need orthodontic treatment or not, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 914.221.0470 or request your New Patient Evaluation online. If you have additional questions, concerns, or comments, you may want to call us or fill out our online contact form. No matter where you are on your orthodontic journey, we’re here for you, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us for more information. If you’re ready to get started, great! We look forward to meeting you and guiding you on your journey to a healthier, more beautiful smile.
Leave a Reply