Life with orthodontic braces
Now that you have braces on your teeth, it's crucial to understand how to care for them throughout your treatment.
The food
Eating with Braces
Rest assured, you'll soon be able to enjoy popcorn and potato chips again! But before you do, it's important to take special precautions to avoid any food that could potentially damage your new braces.
Food to avoid with braces
- Sticky foods - bagels, licorice, caramel candies
- Crunchy foods - popcorn, chips, ice cubes
- Hard foods - nuts, hard candy, corn on the cob, apples, carrots
Food you can eat with braces
- Dairy products - soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
- Bread - soft tortillas, pancakes, nut-free muffins
- Cereals - pasta, steamed rice
- Meat and poultry - steamed chicken, meatballs, cold cuts
- Fish - tuna, salmon
- Vegetables - mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
- Fruit - applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
- Treats - nut-free ice cream, milkshakes, Jell-O®, moist cake
Dental and oral hygiene
With orthodontic braces, maintaining excellent oral hygiene is crucial. After every meal, diligent brushing and flossing are essential to keeping your teeth and gums healthy throughout your orthodontic treatment. If you need help choosing the right toothbrush, toothpaste or floss, don't hesitate to ask us for advice.
Brushing with orthodontic braces
Brush your teeth for two minutes after every meal, using a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste. Clean the outer and inner surfaces of your teeth with gentle circular movements, holding the brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums. Also be sure to brush the chewing surfaces and inside of your front teeth with short, back-and-forth strokes, paying particular attention to the areas around your braces or appliances.
Flossing with orthodontic braces
Daily flossing is essential to maintain cleanliness around your teeth and braces, helping to keep your treatment on track. Use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to navigate behind each wire at each pair of teeth. Wrap the ends of the floss around your index fingers, leaving a few taut centimeters between them. Gently slide the floss back and forth between each pair of teeth, going a few millimeters below the gum line to remove plaque and food debris. Repeat this process until you've flossed all your teeth.
Braces Care
Taking care of your orthodontic braces
Taking care of your braces is crucial, as having damaged or dislodged braces can prolong the duration of your treatment. Please wear your elastics, retainers or other appliances as prescribed to ensure that your teeth and jaws move correctly into the desired position.
Sports
Playing sports with braces
Good news for athletes! You can continue to play sports during your orthodontic treatment, but it's a good idea to wear a mouthguard to protect yourself. Ask us if you need help choosing the right mouthguard for optimum safety.
In the event of a sports-related accident
Immediately check your mouth and braces for damage. Contact our clinic promptly if you notice that any teeth have become very loose as a result of the accident, or if any braces have come loose. Don't forget to use wax or rinse your mouth with salt water for temporary relief.
Possible sorness and pain
Pain caused by braces
After the initial placement of braces, your teeth and mouth may be sensitive, which is normal. You may experience general mouth pain and pressure sensitivity for three to five days. Try to eat soft food until the discomfort subsides. To relieve the discomfort of irritated gums or ulcers, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of lukewarm water and gargle with this solution for a few minutes (do not swallow). If necessary, you can also take an over-the-counter painkiller that you've tolerated well in the past.
It's common for your lips, cheeks and tongue to become irritated as they adjust to the braces; we can provide wax as needed to soothe this sensitivity.
Loose teeth
It's normal for your teeth to feel slightly mobile while the braces are moving them. Once they are in their final position, this feeling of mobility will diminish.
Loose wires and bands
If wires or bands become loose, contact us immediately for an assessment and an appointment. Save any loose parts and bring them with you to your appointment. Temporarily, you can use the back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil to gently push a loose wire back into place. If irritation occurs, apply wax or a damp cotton ball to the broken wire to relieve discomfort.
In case of emergency
If you have an emergency related to your orthodontic treatment, don't worry, we're here. A simple phone call to our clinic will put you in touch with your orthodontist.
Orthodontic emergencies are rare, but if you're experiencing severe pain or a problem with your braces that you can't handle on your own, please contact our team right away. We'll give you an appointment to address the problem and improve your comfort.
You may be surprised to find that you can often temporarily solve many problems on your own until you can come and see us. For braces that cause discomfort, apply wax to the part causing it.
Once you've relieved your discomfort, it's crucial to call the clinic as soon as possible to book an appointment. Postponing these appointments can potentially disrupt your treatment and lengthen its duration.
Temporary relief
Loose Appliance
Apply wax to any part of your appliance that is causing irritation.
Loose Bracket
If a bracket or band remains attached to the wire, leave it in place and apply wax for comfort as necessary. If it comes off easily, store it safely and bring it to your next appointment.
Loose wire
Use tweezers or other pliers with a tapered tip to reinsert it into the tube over the last tooth. If you can't adjust it comfortably and applying wax doesn't help, you can cut the wire with a nail clipper behind the last firmly attached tooth. Apply wax to the sharp ends as required.
Pocking Wire
Use the eraser end of a pencil to gently push the wire down, or apply orthodontic wax to any area causing discomfort until it no longer irritates.
The Retainers
Make sure your beautiful smile stays as dazzling as the day your braces were removed - learn the right way to wear your retainer!
The different types
Retainers are custom-made and can be removable or fixed.
Hawley-type retainers
These removable appliances consist of a wire around the anterior teeth, attached to an acrylic arch resting on the palate. They can sometimes be adjusted to accommodate minor tooth movements if worn regularly.
Essix-type retainers
These removable appliances resemble Invisalign shells and offer a more aesthetic alternative to fixed retainers. They are made from a mold of your teeth in their new position and must be worn according to the orthodontist's instructions.
Fixed retainers
These appliances consist of a metal wire bonded behind the upper and/or lower teeth, and therefore require meticulous oral hygiene.
Pros and cons
Removable retainers can be removed for eating and oral hygiene, but are at risk of being misplaced if not kept in their case.
Fixed retainers eliminate the need to remember to wear your retainer, but require more sustained oral hygiene to remove plaque and food debris when flossing.
Referral | New patient
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Let's begin with an orthodontic consultation and evaluation to better determine the available treatment options, whether the situation is minor or major.
