Living with braces, the easy way

What to eat (and what to skip)

The rule is simple: nothing hard, nothing sticky, nothing you have to bite into with your front teeth.

Skip these

• Ice, hard candy, jawbreakers, nuts
• Popcorn (the hulls get stuck), chips like Takis and Hot Cheetos (hard edges, and yes, we know)
• Gum, caramel, taffy, gummy candy
• Whole apples, corn on the cob, carrots, ribs and wings off the bone (cut them up or off the bone instead)
• Crusty bread, pizza crust, bagels (tear into small pieces)

Go for it

• Soft fruits, cooked veggies, rice, beans, pasta, eggs
• Soft tortillas, tamales, enchiladas, caldo, anything you can cut small
• Yogurt, smoothies, ice cream (braces day and adjustment days especially)
• Meat cut into bites; soft-cooked chicken and fish

First few days: stick to soft foods while your teeth get used to the pressure. Mashed potatoes, soup, smoothies. It passes fast.

Brushing and flossing

Braces give food more places to hide, so brushing gets a promotion: after every meal if you can, and always before bed.

• Brush at a 45° angle above and below each bracket. Small circles. Two full minutes.
• Soft-bristle brush or an electric toothbrush. Replace it every 3 months (braces wear brushes out faster).
• Interdental brushes (the little Christmas-tree brushes) clean under the wire. Keep a few in your bag.
• Floss daily. Use floss threaders, super floss, or a water flosser. It's slower with braces; it's worth it.
• Fluoride rinse at night helps prevent the white spots that can show up around brackets.
• Keep seeing your dentist for cleanings every 6 months during treatment.

Soreness relief

Teeth get sore for 2 to 4 days after braces go on and sometimes after adjustments. Totally normal. It means they're moving.

• Soft, cold foods and cold water
• An over-the-counter pain reliever (whatever you'd normally take for a headache), following the package directions
• A warm salt-water rinse (½ teaspoon salt in a cup of warm water) for irritated cheeks and gums
• Orthodontic wax on any bracket that's rubbing

If soreness lasts longer than a week or gets worse instead of better, call us.

Wax and broken brackets

Using wax

Pinch off a pea-sized piece, roll it into a ball, dry the bracket with a tissue, and press the wax on. Replace it after eating. If you run out, ask at your next visit or grab some at any pharmacy.

Poking wire

Push it flat with a pencil eraser or cover it with wax. If it's long, carefully snip it with clean nail clippers. Then call us to trim it properly.

Loose or broken bracket

If it's still attached to the wire, leave it and cover it with wax. If it comes off completely, save it and call us to re-bond it. A loose bracket isn't painful, but it means that tooth isn't moving, so don't wait until your next scheduled visit.

Lost rubber band or spacer

Call us. Rubber bands you can replace from your bag; a lost spacer needs to be put back before your next visit.

What counts as an emergency

Call us the same day for a broken bracket, a poking wire you can't manage, a lost or broken retainer, a cracked or lost aligner, or anything that's cutting your cheek.

Go to urgent care or the ER first for an injury to the face or mouth, a knocked-out or badly loosened tooth, or serious swelling or bleeding. Then call us.

Every office is open until 7:30pm, Monday through Friday. Emergency info and phone numbers →

Invisalign care

• 22 hours a day. Out only for eating, drinking anything but water, and brushing.
• Rinse and brush aligners with a soft brush and cool water (never hot; they warp). Clear anti-bacterial soap works; toothpaste can scratch them.
• Brush your teeth before putting them back in. Sugar trapped under an aligner is a cavity waiting to happen.
• Case, always. Never a napkin. Napkins get thrown away.
• Switch on schedule. If you forget for a day, don't skip ahead; just start counting again.
• Lost one? Call us. Depending on where you are in the set, we'll have you go back one or forward one.

Retainer care

Your retainer is the thing that keeps your new smile from drifting back. Treat it well.

• Wear it exactly as directed: usually full-time at first, then every night. Forever is the honest answer for nights.
• Brush it daily with a soft brush and cool water. Soak weekly in a retainer cleaner or diluted vinegar.
• Keep it in its case when it's out. Keep it away from heat, and away from dogs.
• If it cracks, feels loose, or stops fitting, call right away. Retainer replacement is quick.
• Bonded (permanent) retainer? Floss under it with a threader and keep it clean; it's a magnet for tartar.

Sports and instruments

Sports

Play everything. Just wear a mouthguard for anything with contact or a ball: football, basketball, soccer, boxing, cheer, wrestling. We'll set you up with an orthodontic mouthguard that fits over braces. Regular boil-and-bite guards can get stuck.

Band and instruments

Brass and woodwinds take a week or two to feel normal again. Wax on the front brackets helps. Practice a little more that first week and you'll be fine.

Singing, acting, public speaking

You'll adapt faster than you expect. Reading aloud for 10 minutes a day the first week speeds it up.

Quick reference card

Problem	Do this	Then
Sore teeth	Soft food, cold water, pain reliever	Normal for a few days
Poking wire	Pencil eraser, wax, or clip it	Call to trim
Loose bracket	Wax; save it if it falls off	Call to re-bond
Lost aligner	Wear the previous or next set	Call to confirm which
Lost retainer	Call today	Quick replacement
Injury to mouth	Urgent care or ER	Then call us