LOVING THE ORTHODONTIC LIFE:)

Eating with Braces

Providing you with an excellent experience, does also involve a few "minor inconveniences".  Mainly, we want to provide you with some information that will allow you to be in the drivers seat as far as problems that could occur with your braces:

We recommend avoiding the following items with braces:

  • Chewy foods — bagels, licorice
  • Crunchy foods — popcorn (kernels), chips, ice
  • Sticky foods — Sour Patch type candy, caramel, chewing gum
  • Hard foods — nuts, hard candy
  • Juice & Soda - avoid sugary, carbonated drinks & high-sugar soda
  • Cut up apples, celery, carrots, etc into small pieces before eating

We recommend avoiding the following items with Invisalign:

  • Avoid anything other than water with your aligners in place.  Eating or drinking with aligners in can cause the aligner to hold food and beverage residue between the aligner and teeth, causing cavities to develop at a rapid pace.  A major benefit of Invisalign is that they can be removed for eating and drinking but the teeth should always be brushed prior to putting them back in.

Foods you CAN eat with braces:

  • Well, pretty much everything that isn't included in the above list! If you have a question about something, call or text us!

Soreness Caused from Braces and Appliances

When you first get your braces or Invisalign, you may notice that your teeth and mouth feel a little tender or sore. This is perfectly normal and we promise your mouth will not be sore forever! To relieve the pain, we recommend dissolving one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water. Swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for just a couple of minutes (do not swallow the saltwater).

If the pain is more severe and does not go away after rinsing, you can also try taking a pain reliever. It is also not uncommon for your lips, cheeks, and tongue to become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become used to the braces. You should have received some orthodontic wax in your care package if you have braces, you can use that by gently removing a small pea-size amount, rolling it between your fingers to soften it, try to get the offending brace as dry as possible & push it around it.  You can remove and replace the wax as needed throughout your treatment.

Loose Teeth

If your teeth begin feeling a little loose, don't worry; this is normal! Your braces or aligners must first loosen your teeth to move them into the right position. Once your teeth have been repositioned, they will no longer be loose.

Loose Wires and Bands

The wires and bands on your braces may come loose. If this happens, please call or text us as soon as possible so that we can check and repair your appliance. If any piece of your appliance comes off, be sure to save it and bring it to the office with you.  We don't typically consider this an "emergency" however want you to call so we can be prepared for your upcoming visit!

If you break or lose an Invisalign aligner, you can try to advance to the next aligner.  If that does not fit, please go back to the prior aligner and call or text the office so we can reorder the broken one.

Take Care of Your Appliances

Damaged appliances can increase the length of your treatment process, so be sure to take care of all your appliances. Your teeth and jaw can only move into their correct positions if you consistently wear the rubber bands, aligners or other appliances recommended by Dr. Potocki.

Playing Sports during Orthodontic Treatment

Game, Set, Match — we have great news for athletes! You can still play sports even while undergoing orthodontic treatment! If you do play sports, it's recommended that you wear a mouthguard to protect your braces. Let your doctor know if you need help finding the right mouthguard for the best protection.  Your coach may allow you to wear your Invisalign aligners as a mouthguard for sports if you have Invisalign.  The one thing you will not be able to use is a boil mouthguard as it will not allow your teeth to progress in movement.

In case of a sports emergency, be sure to immediately check your mouth and appliance for damage. If you notice any loose teeth or appliance damage, please contact our office right away. You can temporarily relieve the discomfort by applying wax or rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater.

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