Life With Braces Stockton, CA
At Suliman Orthodontics, we provide orthodontics services for children and adults looking to straighten their teeth and align their jaw. Orthodontics is the study and treatment of dental displacement and malocclusions. As an expert at issues pertaining to the jaw, we can move and adjust teeth even if they are fully formed and hardened. This makes it possible to straighten teeth in adults, rather than children only.
Congratulations on your new braces!! You don’t have to completely change your life or your lifestyle now that you are in treatment. You do however have to keep a few things in mind.
EATING WITH BRACES
There are certain foods you need to stay away from while in braces. We all had to give up our pop-corn and potato chips when we were in treatment. If you can do the same, we promise that your treatment will go much faster and you soon you can return to enjoying those delicious and irresistible foods.
FOODS TO AVOID WITH BRACES
We recommend that you stay away from foods on this list for several reasons. These foods will break your braces and wires and delay your treatment time. They will also increase your risk for cavities which will require extensive dental treatment. This will ultimately delay your orthodontic treatment as well.
- Hard Foods: Hard Candies, Nuts, Pretzels
- Sticky Foods: Laffy Taffy, Caramel, Chewing gum
- Crunchy Foods: Popcorn, Potato Chips, Ice
- Other Foods: Corn on the Cobb, uncut Fruits and Vegetables
FOODS YOU CAN (AND SHOULD) EAT
A nutritious diet is essential for your overall health. Your overall health impacts your orthodontic treatment. For this reason, we recommend that you eat the following foods based on the food pyramid.
- Breads: Pancakes, soft sandwich breads, muffins (without Nuts)
- Vegetables: Steamed carrots and broccoli, cut-up vegetables, tomatoes
- Fruits: Bananas, strawberries, raspberries, cut-up apples and pears
- Grains: Pasta, soft cooked rice
- Soft Meats/Poultry: boneless meats, meatballs, soft cooked chicken.
CARING FOR YOUR BRACES
Braces can only work if they stay on your teeth. Damaged braces and wires will delay your treatment progress. You must take good care of your braces and teeth to ensure a successful result. We recommend that you increase your brushing time form the Normal (2 minutes) recommended by your family dentist to 3-4 minutes per session. This should be repeated 2-3 times a day. It’s also important to brush your gums, floss, and a mouth rinse daily.
BRUSHING AND FLOSSING WITH BRACES
We love this video from our American Association of Orthodontists. It is a great video illustrating how to brush and floss with braces.
ORAL HYGIENE ACCESSORIES
Nothing can replace good Ole brushing and flossing. In the hands of a committed and motivated patient, these two are often enough to maintain a healthy mouth. There are however additional things that can help you maintain good oral hygiene and reduce your risk of cavities while in braces.
Power toothbrush and Waterpik: These two appliances use mechanical power to remove plaque and debris from around your braces and teeth. Biggest benefit is their efficiency and programmed timers.
Interproximal brushes: This little device is a micro-brush that fits under the arch-wire and reaches areas around your brackets that a normal toothbrush can’t reach.
Prescription Fluoride toothpaste and rinses: Nothing fights cavities like fluoride. Whether it’s fluoride varnishes applied in office, fluoride tooth past (Prevident 5000) or fluoride rinses (ACT).
Orthodontic Sealants: These sealants are similar to sealants used by your general dentist for pits and fissures in your teeth. The only difference is that they are placed under your braces and they help reduce cavities and white Spot Lesions. We use Opal Seal which is one of the most advanced orthodontic sealants and differs from other sealants in that it stores and releases fluoride throughout your treatment.
Soreness and Temporary Discomfort
The first 2-4 weeks of orthodontic treatment are often accompanied by sore teeth. This is perfectly normal, the biology of tooth movement causes soreness which quickly goes away as your teeth begin to align. One way to reduce the duration and amount of soreness is to use flexible wires which apply light continuous gentle forces on your teeth. We invest in these types of wires to reduce your discomfort and allow you to enjoy Life during orthodontic treatment.a