Life with Braces
You are on your way to living life smiling!
We will walk you through each step of treatment to educate you on how you can care for and participate in achieving the smile you’ve always wanted!
Eating with Braces
Don’t worry, you will be eating popcorn and snacking on potato chips again in no time! However, before you can start enjoying some of the treats you love, you will need to take special care to avoid any foods that could damage your new appliances.
Foods YOU CAN EAT with braces:
Dairy — soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drink
Breads — soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins w/o nuts
Grains — pasta, soft cooked rice
Meats/poultry — soft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
Seafood — tuna, salmon, crab cakes
Vegetables — mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
Fruits — applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
Treats — ice cream, no nuts, milkshakes, Jell-O, cake
Foods to avoid with braces:
- Chewy foods — bagels, licorice
- Crunchy foods — popcorn, chips, ice
- Sticky foods — Swedish fish, airheads, caramel candies, chewing gum
- Hard foods — nuts, hard candies
- Foods that require biting into — corn on the cob, apples, carrots
Soreness Caused from Braces and Appliances
When you first get your braces, 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. Use the wax in your start kit to lessen the tenderness of areas that may become irritated by placing a small amount of wax over the bracket in that area.
Loose Teeth
If your teeth begin feeling a little loose, don’t worry; this is normal! Your braces must first loosen your teeth to move them into the right position. Once your teeth have been re-positioned, they will no longer be loose.
Loose Wires and Bands
The wires and bands on your braces may come loose. If this happens please contact us so we can schedule you appropriately. If any piece of your appliance comes off, save it and bring it to the office with you.
You can temporarily fix the loose wire by using the back of a spoon or the eraser end of a pencil to carefully and gently push the wire back into place. If the loose wire is causing irritation to your lips or cheeks, put wax or a wet cotton ball over the broken wire to relieve the pain.
Take Care of Your Appliances
Damaged appliances can increase the length of your treatment process, so take good care of all your appliances. Your teeth and jaw can only move into their correct positions if you consistently wear the rubber bands, headgear, retainer or other appliances prescribed by your orthodontist.
Playing Sports with Braces
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 mouth guard to protect your teeth and your appliance. Let your doctor know if you need help finding the right mouth guard for the best protection.
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.
“Without a doubt the best dental care I have received in my entire life. I would recommend Leiss & Hendrix Orthodontics to anyone who is in need of orthodontic care.”
“We have enjoyed Leiss Orthodontics very much and everyone who works there. All of you have been very kind, helpful, and flexible with our needs. We certainly will recommend you to family and friends!”
“We want to thank you for the amazing job you have done on both of our boys’ teeth. Nickolas & Alexander were seen by you guys years apart from each other, with Alex being your recent graduate. Based on technology changes and differences with their needs, the process was quite different for the two of them, but the end result was the same. They both have amazing teeth and you guys were kind along the way and never made us wait long for a single appointment. As we told you guys on our last day, we don’t have any more kids of our own to bring to you, but we will always refer anyone that does need an orthodontics practice to you guys, with high praise. Thank you!!!!”
“My daughter, Dana, got her braces on about 18 months ago. When we first went to visit Hendrix Orthodontics (because they had come so highly recommended!), we sat down with the staff to discuss payment options. Having recently lost my job, I knew it would be a challenge to make the monthly payments, so I explained my situation to the staff, and they were “Wonderful” about it and really accommodated my specific ability to pay. Each visit, the office staff was friendly, courteous, and exceptionally accommodating in everything. Several times I had to change appointment times and/or dates because of Dana’s school activities, and they never gave me a hard time about it. They go out of their way to accommodate personal schedules for families. Today…Dana got her braces off and she looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! Dr. Hendrix did such an outstanding job with her teeth, treating her like she was the only patient each time she came in. He really does treat his patients like they’re important, not just another number! I would (and already have!) recommend Hendrix Orthodontics to everyone and anyone who asks me about it! How often is it that you actually enjoy visiting a doctor’s office??!! This is one office that makes every visit pleasant and enjoyable because of the outstanding staff ‘and’ Dr. Hendrix! Thank you all for a wonderful experience!”
“Thank you for straightening my teeth. It has been so neat to watch them fall into place and that that the braces are coming off, it’s so amazing to have a smile that is straight. You have all been so welcoming and ready to help during the past two years, Thank you so much.”