Taking Care of Your Braces
Properly caring for your braces will help ensure your treatment goes as smoothly as possible. When patients neglect their braces, allow them to become damaged, or don’t keep up with prescribed treatments, it will extend their treatment time.
Eating with Braces
If you have braces that are fixed to your teeth, you’ll want to adjust your diet. Certain types of food can damage your braces and others will get stuck to them. We know it isn’t always easy, but the sooner you complete your treatment, the sooner you’ll be able to eat those foods again.
Foods to Avoid:
- Chewy foods like bagels or licorice
- Crunchy foods like popcorn, chips, or ice
- Sticky foods like caramel and chewing gum
- Hard foods like nuts and hard candy
- Foods that require biting into like apples and corn on the cob.
Foods You Can Eat:
- Dairy products like soft cheese and milk-based drinks
- Breads like pancakes and muffins without nuts
- Grains like pasta and rice
- Meats that are easy to chew like chicken and lunch meats
- Seafood like tuna and salmon
- Vegetables like mashed potatoes and beans
- Soft fruits like applesauce and bananas
- Treats like ice cream without nuts, Jell-O, and cake
You Can Still Play Sports With Braces
You can still play sports when you wear braces — you just have to take precautions to protect both your teeth and braces. Dr. Paul Adams at Watkins Dental can provide a mouthguard to keep your teeth safe while you play.
If you have an emergency concerning your teeth, such as being hit in the mouth while playing sports, you should check your mouth and the appliance for damage. If you have loose teeth, any type of injury, or damage to your braces, contact our office as soon as possible and we’ll fit you in for an appointment right away.
Common Issues
If any issues with your braces cause concern during your course of treatment, feel free to contact our office immediately for help. But there are also some common problems that don’t require an appointment to fix. Consult our emergency care guidelines to learn more about which issues you can fix at home and what you should do if part of your appliance becomes broken or detached.
Dr. Adams Will Answer Your Questions
If you have any other questions or concerns about living with braces, we’ll be happy to help. Simply call (570) 675-1138 to contact us or fill out the convenient contact form available on this page. We can’t wait to meet you.