Now that you have your braces, how do you take care of them? It's important for you to know how to properly take care of your braces throughout your entire orthodontic treatment.

Eating with Braces

Don't worry, you'll soon get used to your braces and be eating most foods again in no time! However, before you can start enjoying some of the treats you love, you will need to take special care to avoid any foods that could damage your new appliances.

Foods to Avoid

This list of foods is only a guide. There are other foods that you may find in your diet which you must avoid eating whilst in orthodontic treatment!

Avoid eating these foods the whole time you are wearing braces...

• Muesli bars and ALL other hard, sticky snack bars like LCM's and Rollups
• Nuts (all nuts)
• Lollies (all lollies)
• Muesli and crunchy cereal (e.g. NutriGrain). To make sure it's not crunchy, soak it longer than usual in milk.
• Crust on hard bread (e.g. italian bread), toast and pizza. Just eat the soft part of the bread, toast and pizza.
• Biscuits (e.g. Tim Tams, Gingernuts, ANZAC and Vita Wheats, etc.). Only eat biscuits if you are dipping them into a hot drink, otherwise they are too hard for the braces!
• Corn chips and tacos. These bigger chips can break the braces.
• Pork crackling
• Hard chocolate. Chocolate must be soft! Simply zap the chocolate in the microwave or leave it out in the sun until it softens.

Avoid biting into these foods the whole time you are wearing braces...

• Fruit & raw vegetables (e.g. apple and raw carrot). These are both hard and crunchy, so all you have to do is cut these foods up into small pieces or grate them so that you are not biting into them, but are just chewing.
• Stone fruits (e.g. Peaches). The flesh of these fruits is usually soft, but the stone isn't. Cut these fruits up into small pieces to avoid biting into the stone. (Bonus – you won't get the flesh of the peach stuck between your front teeth.)
• Fruit with seeds or pips (e.g. mandarin, watermelon and olives). Take care when eating these sorts of fruits as you can't always find all of the pips or seeds!
• Meat on the bone (e.g. chicken wings and T-bone steaks). You could accidentally contact the bone with your braces if you gnaw on the bones, so simply cut the meat off the bone to avoid this.
• Corn on the cob. Cut the corn kernels off the cob to avoid biting into the cob.
• Ice blocks, ice creams and ice cubes. Just suck on these!

Soreness Caused from Braces and Appliances

When you first get your braces, you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal and we promise your mouth will not be sore forever! To relieve the pain, we recommend dissolving one teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water. Swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for just a couple of minutes (do not swallow the saltwater). You can also carefully chew sugar free gum as soon as possible after an adjustment to help you get through your discomfort faster.

If the pain is more severe and does not go away after rinsing, you can also try taking a pain reliever. It is also not uncommon for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces. We would be happy to give you some wax that you can put over the braces to lessen the tenderness. If you need some wax, please let us know.

Teeth feel loose

If your teeth begin feeling a little loose, don't worry; this is normal! Your braces must first loosen your teeth to move them into the right position. Once your teeth have been repositioned, they will no longer be loose.

Orthodontic adjustments

Braces generally have to be adjusted every 6 or 7 weeks during the course of treatment. It is important that you keep these adjustment appointments or else treatment can be delayed considerably.

Missing out on school

It is impossible to undertake a full course of orthodontic treatment without missing out on some schooling. Adjustment appointments are scheduled so that as many people as possible can be seen before and after school hours. This means that if you are due for one of our occasional longer appointments then it may need to be scheduled during the day. Missing out on school time for an orthodontic appointment is an accepted excuse, but only for the duration of the appointment (plus travel time).

Arriving late for appointments

If you arrive late for an appointment and we see you, then we are running late for all subsequent appointments. This is not fair to patients who are on a busy schedule and who are relying on us to see them on time. To prevent this occurring, please be on time for appointments. If you are too late we may have to reschedule your appointment.

If the orthodontist is running late

Please accept our apologies. We make every effort to avoid running late but not every complication can be foreseen. If we are too late for you, please ask to reschedule your appointment. Alternatively use the telephone to advise others, who are depending on you, that you have been delayed.

Loose Wires and Molar Bands

The wires and molar bands on your braces may come loose. If this happens, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can check and repair your appliance. If a molar band comes off, be sure to save it and bring it to the office with you.

You can temporarily fix a loose wire by using the back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil to carefully and gently push the wire back into place. If the loose wire is causing irritation to your lips or cheeks, put wax or a wet cotton ball over the broken wire to relieve the pain.

Take Care of your Appliances

If part of your orthodontic appliance should become loose, broken or lost, please contact the office as soon as possible. This is essential as your next appointment may not be of sufficient duration to perform repairs.Once you have informed the office of any damage, your next appointment can be extended. Then, if possible, the damage can be repaired at the same time as performing your regular adjustment. Damaged appliances can increase the length of your treatment process, so be sure to take care of all your appliances. Your teeth and jaw can only move into their correct positions if you consistently wear the rubber bands, headgear, retainer, or other appliances prescribed by your doctor.

Playing Sports with Braces

Game, Set, Match — we have great news for athletes! You can still play sports even while undergoing orthodontic treatment! If you do play sports, it's recommended that you wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth and your appliance. Let your doctor know if you need help finding the right mouthguard for the best protection.

In case of a sports emergency, be sure to immediately check your mouth and appliance for damage. If you notice any loose teeth or appliance damage, please contact our office right away. You can temporarily relieve the discomfort by applying wax or rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater.

Regular dental check-ups

It is of prime importance that all teeth are free from decay before orthodontic treatment is started. It is a wise procedure to make an appointment every six months, even during orthodontic treatment, to allow your general dentist to check for any new decay or potential problems. At the end of your active treatment it is essential that you continue the regular established visits to your dentist. 

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