Life with braces

What can you eat? Let’s talk about what you shouldn’t eat! If you’ve been wanting to drop a few pounds, the first week wearing braces is just your chance! For the first week or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meat, hard bread, and raw vegetable. You’ll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you’re wearing braces.

Food to Avoid During Orthodontic Treatment

Food for orthodontic thoughts

What to eat when you have braces?

What to Eat When You Have Braces from AAO on Vimeo.

How to deal with soreness and discomfort?

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for three to five days. This can be relieved by rinsing your mouth with a warm salt water mouthwash. Dissolve one teaspoonful of salt in 8 ounces of warm water, and rinse your mouth vigorously. If the tenderness is severe, take aspirin or whatever you normally take for headache or similar pain. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the surface of the braces. You can put wax on the braces to lessen this. We’ll show you how!