 What can you eat? Let's talk about what
you shouldn't eat! If you've been wanting to drop a few
pounds, the first week wearing braces is just your chance!
For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough
meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long,
you'll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you'll need
to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for
as long as you're wearing braces.
- Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
- Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
- Sticky foods: caramels, gum
- Hard foods: nuts, candy
- Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples,
carrots
- Chewing on hard things (for example, pens,
pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces.
Damaged braces will cause treatment to take
longer.
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness
in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures
for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing
your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one
teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse
your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take
aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar
pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated
for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed
to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces
to lessen this. We'll show you how!
This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry!
It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved.
The teeth will again become rigidly fixed in their new – corrected – positions.
 To successfully complete the treatment plan, the patient
must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and
jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if
the patient consistently wears the rubber bands, headgear
or other appliances as prescribed. Damaged appliances lengthen
the treatment time.
It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly
when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy
after orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their
teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist
for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history
of gum disease should also see a periodontist during orthodontic
treatment.
- Wear your retainers full time, until the doctor instructs
otherwise.
- Take your retainers out when eating... and always
put retainers in their case! (Most appliances are lost
in school lunch rooms or restaurants.)
- Clean retainers thoroughly once a day as instructed by Dr. Gersch and team. Use warm but not hot water. Brushing retainers removes the plaque, and eliminates odors. Efferdent, or other orthodontic appliance cleaners can be used, but do not take the place of brushing the retainers daily.
- When retainers are not in your mouth they should ALWAYS
be in a retainer case. Pets love to chew on them!
- Initially, you may find it difficult to speak.
Practice speaking, reading, or singing out loud
to get used to them faster.
- Retainers are breakable, so treat them with care.
If retainers are lost or broken call us immediately.
- If you have any questions or concerns about your retainers,
or your retainers need adjusting, call us. Do not try
to adjust them yourself.
- Always bring your retainers to your appointments.
- Retainer replacement is expensive... with proper
care they will last for years!
- Remove retainers when swimming.
- Keep retainers away from hot water, hot car
dashboards, pockets, the washing machine, and
napkins.
If you play sports, it's important that you consult us
for special precautions. A protective mouthguard is advised
for playing contact sports. In case of any accident involving
the face, check your mouth and the appliances immediately.
If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, phone
at once for an appointment. In the meantime, treat your
discomfort as you would treat any general soreness.
Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens
occasionally. If wire protrudes and is irritating, use
a blunt instrument (back of spoon or the eraser end of
a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire
under the archwire. Simply get it out of the way. If irritation
to the lips or mouth continues, place wax or wet cotton
on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office as
soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair
the appliances. If any piece comes off, save it and bring
it with you to the office.
Gersch Orthodontics is available to you in case of an emergency. You should call the office when you experience severe pain or
when you have a painful appliance problem that you can't take care of yourself.
We'll help make you comfortable and then schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.
We feel it is important to know the names of the parts of your appliances, so please review our Braces Diagram.
It will help, when you phone the office, to be able to
identify what part is broken or out of place.
The intended animation requires a newer version of Adobe Flash® Player. Please visit www.adobe.com to download the latest version.
Poking Wire
Using a pencil eraser, push the poking wire down or place wax on it to alleviate the discomfort.
Loose bracket or band
If your bracket or band is still attached to the wire, you should leave it in place and put wax on it. If the wire comes out entirely, wrap the bracket with a tissue.
Loose wire
Using a tweezer, try to put your wire back into place. If doing this and using wax doesn't help, as a last resort use a small fingernail clipper to clip the wire behind the last tooth to which it is securely fastened. If your discomfort continues, place wax on it.
Loose appliance
If your appliance is poking you, place wax on the offending part of your appliance.
Headgear does not fit
Sometimes headgear discomfort is caused by not wearing the headgear as instructed by your orthodontist. Please refer to the instructions provided by your orthodontist. If the facebow is bent, please call our office for assistance. Surprisingly, the headgear may hurt less as it's worn more, so be sure you're getting in the prescribed hours.
General Soreness
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm saltwater mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. Placing Orabase on the affected area may help; this can be found in a pharmacy. If the tenderness is severe, take whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain.
The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We'll show you how!
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