You may be surprised at how quickly you get used to your appliances. Then life should be much the same as before. You can still play sports and even play your musical instrument. But you do need to be careful of your appliances. That’s because they can be easily damaged. Follow the tips below and you may get your braces off sooner!
How to Take Care of Your Braces at Home
When You Eat
Soft is better
Soups, stew, pasta, enchiladas, and rice and won ton dishes are good choices. Chicken, fish and meat loaf are easy to chew too.
Make it bite size
Cut chewy foods like steak, pizza, and submarine sandwiches into pieces.
Cut meat off the bone. Chewing on bones can loosen brackets.
Slice fresh vegetables and fruit. Biting into a whole carrot or apple can damage a wire or brackets.
Cut fresh corn off the cob before you eat it.
Avoid These Troublemakers
Sticky Foods
Bubble gum, caramels, taffy, jellybeans, and other sticky foods can loosen or even break your appliances.
Hard, Crunchy Foods
Ice, popcorn, nuts, corn chip, crusty bread, and hard candy can damage a wire or loosen the brackets.
Sugary Foods
Sweet and soft drinks can cause tooth decay under appliances. If you eat them, brush your teeth right away.
If A Wire Gets Loose
Gently tuck the wire back in place with a blunt object, such as the eraser end of a pencil. If you can nudge it back, cover the end with a piece of wax or sugarless gum. Then give us a call.
When You Play Sports
Wear a Mouth guard
You can still play soccer and other contact sports. But you need to get a special mouth guard from your orthodontist. This mouth guard fits over your braces. It helps protect your braces and keep them from getting broken.
Keep Things Out of Your Mouth
Biting your fingernails or chewing on the ends of pencils can loosen or even break appliances. So can picking at them. Keep everything except food out of your mouth. That way you will get your braces off sooner.
