Foods and Habits to Avoid
Oral Hygiene
Getting Used to Wearing Braces

Foods and Habits to Avoid

FOODS TO AVOID:

• Ice
• Popcorn
• Hard candy
• Nuts
• Granola bars
• Pretzels
• Caramels
• Dried fruit
• Do not suck on lemons, limes
• Raw vegetables & apples should be steamed or cut
• Pizza crust & hard breads (i.e., french bread and bagels should be
• broken & eaten in small pieces)
• Corn (should be cut off the cob)

BAD HABITS TO AVOID:

• Nail biting
• Picking at your wires
• Unnatural tongue thrusting
• Chewing on pencils
• Thumb sucking

*Keep in Mind:
THE BETTER YOUR EFFORTS, THE BETTER YOUR RESULTS!

Oral Hygiene

How to keep your Teeth Clean

Tooth Brushing
When:	Brush after every meal and rinse after snacks.
With:	A soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
How:	Use a dry brush with a small amount of toothpaste. Use circular motions around the gum lines and the surfaces of your teeth, 10 Seconds on each tooth. At an angle, work bristles of brush over, under and past the wire that runs From one tooth to another. Then brush the chewing surfaces of your teeth and brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth as well. Rinse thoroughly.

DENTAL FLOSSING
When:	At least 3 times a week.
With:	Dental floss and floss threader.
How:	Insert floss into threader. Place threader between gums or under the wire. Floss using an up and down motion along the teeth. When you are finished look in the mirror to be sure your teeth and braces are shiny and your gums are firm. If your gums are sore and/or bleeding, rinse them with salt water. These problems will quickly disappear with proper oral hygiene.

Getting Used To Wearing Braces

• To minimize soreness take Tylenol or Advil.
• Brackets may cause some irritation. If this occurs:
  • Use wax to stop the irritation
  • Use a warm salt water rinse to heal the irritation
  • Some over-the-counter products such as Zilactin-B may help as well

Quick Fixes

Braces are not indestructible! In fact, they can be easily loosened or even broken if you are not careful.

With new braces, irritation can occur. This can be alleviated by:

• Rolling a small piece of orthodontic wax into a pea size ball, place it over the area of the braces, which are causing irritation.

This will provide relief to the area. If a wire comes loose and sticks you on the inside of your mouth:

• Try tucking it in with the end of an eraser or a spoon. If that does not work, dry it with a tissue, then place wax over the wire to prevent further sticking.

Please notify the office of any other problems.