All About Braces
Caring for your orthodontic appliances as well as your teeth and gums while you undergo orthodontic treatment at Legacy Orthodontics is a team effort. Use this page (as well as our information on oral hygiene) as a resource to help establish good hygiene habits while we help you achieve a beautiful, healthy smile!
Foods to Avoid While Wearing Braces
For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods, and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets, and sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires and also loosen or break them. Minimize sugary foods, as they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing, and chewing on foreign objects should also be avoided.
Examples of Sticky/Chewy Foods to Avoid
- Gum (sugar-free or regular)
- Licorice
- Taffy
- Toffee
- Tootsie Rolls
- Caramels
- Starburst
Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid:
- Ice
- Nuts
- Hard Taco Shells
- French Bread Crust
- Corn on the Cob
- Apples
- Bagels
- Hard Pita or Tortilla Chips
- Jolly Ranchers and Similar Candies
- Pizza Crust
- Raw Carrots
Minimize Sugary Foods like:
- Cake
- Ice Cream
- Cookies
- Pie
- Candy
Only Rarely:
- Soda
- Sweetened Tea
- Gatorade
- Kool-Aid
- Drinks with Sugar
Caring for Your Appliances
Patient cooperation is a big part of successful orthodontic treatment. Please be sure to wear your appliances as prescribed, including rubber bands, retainers, or personally prescribed items.
Mouthguards for Playing Sports
We are pleased to offer our patients orthodontic-specific mouthguards for sports activities. Unlike boil-and-fit mouthguards, which fit tightly and prevent tooth movement, our mouthguards are designed to fit around orthodontic appliances and allow bite correction and tooth alignment to take place.
Cleaning Your Removable Retainers
Brush your removable retainers every day as a part of your regular brushing and flossing schedule. Because food particles and plaque can accumulate on your appliance just as they do on your teeth, soak your retainers daily. We advise cleaning retainers with soft bristle toothbrush and water and soak as needed in denture cleaner, or a mixture of 1/4 cup white vinegar and 3/4cups room temperature water.
