TIPS FOR LIVING LIFE WITH BRACES

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT EXPERIENCE

girl with braces

SO YOU JUST GOT BRACES?

Welcome to the club! If today is your first day of life with braces, your teeth are likely to feel a little sore. Slight discomfort is completely normal. Any soreness should be gone in just a few days. In the meantime, you may want to stick to soft foods and smoothies. After the first week, life with braces will look slightly different from your normal routine. You will form new habits – like swapping out some of your favorite foods and spending extra time cleaning your teeth. In the end, it will all be worth it. Our Holbert Family Orthodontics team is here for you and we have compiled a list of tips to help you on your journey to the perfect smile.

EATING WITH BRACES

It is very important to take extra care of your braces during your entire orthodontic treatment. Your braces have brackets, bands and archwires that are all prone to damage from the foods you consume and from your eating habits. During your treatment you should avoid sticky foods, hard candies, chips, chewing on non-food items like pens (we see you exam week) and chomping down on foods with your front teeth. Luckily, the list of friendly foods for braces far outweighs the list of foods you should avoid.

Swipe to see suggestions for easy swaps for braces-friendly foods!

braces food to avoid Holbert Family OrthodonticsHolbert Family Orthodontics
braces food avoid Holbert Family Orthodonticsbraces friendly breath spray Holbert Family Orthodontics
Holbert Family Orthodonticsbraces friendly foods Holbert Family Orthodontics
braces food to avoid Holbert Family Orthodonticsbraces friendly foods Holbert Family Orthodontics
braces food to avoid Holbert Family Orthodonticsbraces friendly foods Holbert Family Orthodontics
braces food to avoid Holbert Family OrthodonticsHolbert Family Orthodontics Life with braces

BRUSHING AND FLOSSING WITH BRACES

Good dental hygiene is crucial when you are wearing braces. Your new hardware creates even more spaces for food to get trapped. Leftover food debris, bacteria, and plaque can build up around your brackets and leave you with stains, spots and bad breath – all of which could seriously detract from your new smile! Getting a new set of braces is also an excellent time to upgrade your toothbrush. Holbert Family Orthodontics provides each patient with the Oral B Powerbrush.

HOW TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH WITH BRACES

HOW TO MAKE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH FUN

Download the Oral-B App

braces toothbrush phone app

Download the App: iPhone | Android

2 Minute Songs for Teeth Brushing:

  • Sunday Best – Surfaces, 2:38

  • Panini – Lil Nas X, 1:54

  • Old Town Road – Lil Nas X, 1:53

  • My Heart Went Oops – Tiagas, 2:09

  • Feeling Blind – Lucas Estrada, 2:08

Oral B Genius Toothbrush

toothbrush for braces

COMMON PROBLEMS WITH BRACES

As your teeth move during orthodontic treatment, you may experience soreness or tenderness for a few days after an adjustment. This is normal and it shows your braces are working! For soreness or discomfort, Holbert Family Orthodontics recommends an over-the-counter pain reliever and soft foods for a few days. Please feel free to call us anytime for additional suggestions on how to minimize discomfort until we can see you again.

It is not uncommon during treatment for a bracket or band to loosen. If this happens, we suggest that you leave the appliance as is and schedule an appointment with Dr. Holbert as soon as possible for a repair. It may help to apply wax over a loose bracket to keep it from moving around.

As your braces begin to move your teeth, a poking wire can cause irritation to the back of the cheeks. If this happens, we suggest that you leave the appliance as is and schedule an appointment with Dr. Holbert as soon as possible for a repair.  It may help to apply wax to a poking wire to minimize discomfort until we can fix it. If the poking wire is causing a lot of discomfort, you can use a soft Q-tip or a pencil eraser to gently bend the wire toward the interior of the mouth. This should help minimize discomfort until we can schedule an appointment.

Please feel free to call us anytime for additional suggestions on how to minimize discomfort until we can see you again.