EATING WITH BRACES
What can you eat? Let's talk about what you should not eat! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meat, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, you will 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.
Avoid:
* Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, pizza crust, beef jerky
* Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice
* Sticky foods: caramels, taffy, hard candy
* Hard foods: hard fruits such as apples unless they are cut very thin, raw vegetables, peanut brittle, hard pretzels, crackers, corn chips and taco shells
*Chewing on hard things (i.e. pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Broken appliances will prolong overall treatment time.
Most importantly, use your own "good judgement" when selecting foods to eat!
GENERAL SORENESS
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and the teeth may be tender to biting pressures for one to five days. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are very helpful for relieving tooth tenderness following adjustment appointments. The lips, cheeks and tongue also can become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. Our special orthodontic wax can be applied to the braces to lessen this temporary discomfort. We'll show you how!
LOOSENING OF TEETH
This is to be expected throughout treatment. Don't worry! It's normal. Teeth must loosen first so they can be moved. They will again become firm in their new corrected positions.
CARE OF APPLIANCES
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.
BRUSHING
It's more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. If plaque accumulates around the braces, tooth enamel may weaken, causing unaesthetic white spot lesions. Adults who have a history of gum disease should see their dentist or periodontist more often.
ATHLETICS
A protective mouth guard is advised for playing contact sports. We will supply a mouth guard to protect your teeth and braces if you wish. In case of an accident involving the face, check your mouth and appliances immediately. If teeth are loosened or the appliances damaged, phone our office at once for an appointment.
LOOSE WIRE OR BAND
Don't be alarmed if a wire or band comes loose. This happens occasionally. If a wire protrudes and is irritating, use a blunt instrument (back of a spoon or eraser- end of a pencil) and carefully, gently push the irritating wire into a more comfortable position(usually toward the tooth). If irritation to the lips or mouth continues, place wax on the wire to reduce the annoyance. Call our office as soon as possible for an appointment to check and repair the appliance.
EMERGENCY CARE
As a general rule, an emergency appointment may be made when there is severe pain, a loose band, a broken wire or something sticking out that you can't take care of.
Rubber Band (elastics) Instructions
Why do I have to wear rubber bands?
Dr. Megna has prescribed elastics to be worn as part of your orthodontic treatment. Elastics are a very important part of your treatment plan if you would like to have your braces removed on schedule. Elastics move teeth in ways Dr. Megna is not able to do with different archwires. Without proper elastic wear, it is unlikely we will obtain the result that everyone wants!
I can't remember which teeth they go on!
At your appointment, Dr. Megna's staff will demonstrate how to "hook up" the elastics. If you have any uncertainty, please call our office immediately. Do not wait until your next appointment to find out that the elastics may have been moving teeth in the wrong direction!
When do I wear them?
Rubber bands should be worn full time except during brushing and eating.When you take them out before eating, be sure and replace them right away after your meals. Elastics need to be changed approximately 3 times each day. This is because they lose their stretch as they are left in your mouth during the day. A good idea is to change your elastics at each meal. Remember, it is normal for your teeth and jaws to be sore during the first few days of elastics wear, but this soreness will go away as you continue to wear them as directed.
Continuous wear is a must! Off and on wear is the same as not wearing them at all. Remember to always have an extra pack with you at school, work, etc If you run out of elastics, call our office right away. We will be glad to tape a pack to our front door or drop a pack in the mail. Waiting until your next appointment could delay treatment. You have been given a specific type of rubber band to use. Do not use any other type of rubber bands unless otherwise instructed. Also, do not double up the rubber bands unless instructed. This will not accelerate your treatment.
Many times when our patients have worn their elastics as requested, their treatment time has been significantly reduced. Help us achieve our number one goal, which is to give you the best smile possible!
Retainer & Expander Instructions
* Wear your retainer as instructed by Dr. Megna (most often this will be "night only" wear).
* Take your retainer 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 with a toothbrush and toothpaste. 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.
* 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 retainer, or your retainer needs adjusting, call us. Do not try to adjust it yourself.
* Always bring your retainer 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.
Fixed expander instructions
* Turn your expansion screw as instructed. Insert the key into the hole and turn toward the arrow (toward the throat).
* If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, stop turning the expander.
