Life with Braces

Food Restrictions

As a general rule, hard and sticky foods must be avoided while you are in treatment. Hard foods can easily break or damage wires and brackets, while sticky foods often get caught between brackets and wires and can be difficult to remove and also wash out the cement that allows the braces to stay on the teeth. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems.

 

Examples of Sticky Foods to Avoid:

- Gum (sugar-free or regular)

- Licorice

- Starburst

- Toffee

- Tootsie Rolls

- Caramels

- Taffy

 

Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid:

- Ice

- Nuts

- Apples (unless cut into small pieces)

- Raw carrots

- Bagels

- Chips

- Corn on the cob

- French bread crust/rolls

- Hard taco shells

- Pretzels

- Pizza crust

- Popcorn

- All hard candies (Jolly Ranchers, Lemon Heads, etc.)

 

Other Things to Stay Away from:

Do not chew on any hard objects. Many people break their brackets because they chew on things that are not food.

For example:

- Pen chewing

- Pencil chewing

- Nail biting

- Straw chewing

- Chewing on mouth guards

 

Something About Drinks! SODA— No more than ONCE A DAY!!!!!!!

Please drink all drinks with sugar in them through a straw. This helps keep the sugar off your brackets and away from your teeth. The acid from sugary drinks collects on the braces and can damage your teeth.

 

You will not be able to tear food with your front teeth without breaking brackets. You will need to cut the food into pieces and chew it with your back teeth.

 

If you do break a bracket, please keep the bracket and call our office as soon as possible so that we can allow for more time at your next appointment to repair your braces. Otherwise, we may not have time to repair your broken bracket and may need to reschedule your appointment for another day.

 

 

Parts of Braces

Color Tie- Small rubber band that fits around the bracket to hold the arch wire in place. They are available in a vast array of colors to customize the appearance of the braces
 
Arch wire-  Are made from various metal alloys, each with different properties suited to specific treatment phases. Arch wires are a fundamental component of braces, used to connect the brackets on a patient's teeth and apply continuous, controlled force to guide them into optimal alignment. The specific material, shape, and size of the arch wire are chosen by Dr. Paterno based on the patient's specific needs and the stage of treatment.
 
Elastic (Rubber Band)- Small rubber band that is used with braces to apply specific, continuous force to guide teeth and jaws into proper alignment. The effectiveness of elastics depends heavily on patient compliance. Patients are instructed to wear them as prescribed, often full-time (24/7) except when eating or brushing, and replace them multiple times daily, as the tension degrades over time. Inconsistent wear can set back treatment progress, prolonging the overall treatment time.
 
Brackets- Orthodontic brackets are small, square-shaped pieces, typically made of metal or ceramic, that are bonded to teeth to act as anchors for the archwire in braces. They serve as handles that hold the arch wire, which applies gentle pressure to gradually move teeth into a more aligned position and correct bite issues. Various types are available, including traditional metal, clear ceramic, and gold brackets.
 
Coil spring- This fits between brackets and onto the arch wire to open space between teeth or to help allow a tooth to erupt into position.
 
Band- Orthodontic bands are metal bands that wrap around your back molars and are cemented in place and also serve as an anchor for the arch wire and other appliances, such as elastics. They are typically used in braces treatment. Molar bands are durable, which can be beneficial for molars since they withstand more chewing force.

 

Hook for Elastics- These are welded onto the braces top and bottom and are also on the bands as well. These are used for the elastics (rubber bands) to connect to. We will instruct you which hooks to use for your bite correction needs. 
 
 

 

 

How to Brush with Braces

(Video link)

 

Brushing and Flossing

When you have braces or aligners, it's very important to brush and floss twice per day at minimum, in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your orthodontic treatment. If you need help choosing the right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, please ask us and we can help you choose the right products for your teeth and your appliance.

 

Brushing with Braces

Brush your teeth for two minutes at least twice per day with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. As an alternative, you can use a powered toothbrush to increase your brushing effectiveness. Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush your teeth’s chewing surfaces and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets or other cemented appliances.

 

Flossing with Braces

Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on track. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind the wire and between the brackets. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taut floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth using a back and forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. Repeat this process until you’ve flossed all of your teeth. If you find that your floss is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a waterflosser!