Metal Mouth Message Board

thanks SO much to all of you who responded to my recent post ("only 2 weeks and already want them off!"). it was really encouraging to hear your advice. it's so nice to know i have a whole online "community" that can relate to this experience of being an adult with braces.

i have another question to pose to you all, especially those of you who have had braces long enough to notice trends in your dental health.

i've had braces for about a couple weeks, and although i've managed to give up gum and chewy/gummy candy, i am truly struggling to adjust my diet otherwise. i just think sweets are so yummy. as i type this, i am enjoying a delicious chocolate truffle my question is, how bad is it if you continue to consume sweets and soda during treatment? i practice better dental hygiene than ever before, but am a little worried about my eating habits!

i think they say no sweets because sugary foods are more likely to get stuck next to brackets, ligs, bands, and any other appliances you may have than with bare teeth. to me this just means either rinsing with water or brusing more often than i used to in order to get rid of the sugar that is left behind. no sweets at all would drive me crazy!!

my ortho also suggested i rinse with fluoride once a day before bed. it helps to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities better than just brushing and flossing alone... but eat whatever you want and just be sure to brush! young kids with braces are always chewing on some taffy, m&m's, and chips - i think the restrictions are more for them than for adults : )

I don't know how serious they are, but I live on sweets and I know it's not good for my diet or teeth lol!

No gum is totally out of the question for me. After reading the sheet of paper with the no-no foods listed and saw gum on there , I immediately asked the assistant if I really couldn't chew gum for the next 2+ years. She said that the main reason why gum is listed there is because it gets stuck to the brackets, wires, etc and if they are the not sugar free, it'll likely speed up the process of getting cavities since it'll be stuck on your teeth one way or another. But she actually told me that if they are the sugar-free kind, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. In fact, I've not noticed any difficulties chewing gum so far, so I say go for it (for gum I mean). I highly recommend Orbit White's Bubble Mint, very good.

During my initial visit to my orthodontist she said she advises her patients to chew sugarfree gum. She said it could help ease the discomfort of braces.