Getting braces soon - some questions

[Korey]

Hi everyone, first post here. Getting braces soon so I have some questions:

1) Everyone has these lists of what not to eat with braces, but some people say everything is ok. Is there anything that you would 100% avoid?

2) Is soda ok? I love soda and would hate to give it up for 2 years.

3) How bad is the soreness when you get the braces on first? Which do you recommend for the pain: tylenol or ibuprofen?

4) I'm getting some teeth extracted. They said it shouldn't be as bad as when my wisdom teeth out. Any tips for the recovery?

Thanks for reading!

[nikkibabie19]

hi. Welcome. To answer ur questions.

1. I got a list from my ortho when I first got my braces put on. The list had stuff to avoid such as: chewing gum, nuts, toffee/caramel, biting into stuff esp apples etc, no biting ice cubes. Stuff like that. But im sure ur ortho will give u a list too.

2. Soda was not on the list.

3. Everyone pain threshold is different. Some people I kno took painkillers before their appointment and never again. For me I didnt take anything but the soreness I experienced up until day #2 was WOW. I am jus not a big fan of pills. But my mouth was noticeably swollen. And well there's the issue of not being able to chew properly and painfree for a few days.

4. Tooth extraction does not hurt. I got a tooth extracted prior to getting braces. And I went clubbing the same night. They numb the area before they pull the tooth and by the time the numbness wears off its jus an odd feeling bcuz according to which teeth u pull ur mouth gets breezier I guess? U feel air pass through the gap. And do not put ur tongue in the space. Trust me u may get d urge but dont bcuz u dont want a dry socket. I've heard they can be painful.

[Chiharu]

1. I avoid just some extremely crunchy stuff and biting into apples. You will learn how to eat, don't worry about that. Chewing gums is good for faster movement of teeth.

2. Soda is fine, just rinse after drinking it, there's usually a lot of sugar inside.

3. Mine was quite bad, but I didn't take painkillers. Maybe you won't be in pain, it's individual.

[nikkibabie19]

Really chewing gum? Who knew? I avoided that like the plague.

Esp. Since my ortho advised me to.
But I did try it once and it was not a pretty sight.
Do you know how annoying and hard it is to remove chewing gum from ur brackets and archwires?

Let me tell u its SO NOT fun.

So I stayed away from chewing gum since that incident.

[sirwired]

Hi everyone, first post here. Getting braces soon so I have some questions:

1) Everyone has these lists of what not to eat with braces, but some people say everything is ok. Is there anything that you would 100% avoid?

Popcorn (hulls can get caught between brackets and gums, causing serious damage; it doesn't happen often, but often enough that you should avoid it), apples/corn-on-the-cob/anything hard you have to bite into, and really sticky caramel (which you wouldn't really enjoy anyway...)

2) Is soda ok? I love soda and would hate to give it up for 2 years.

Yes. However, if you drink sugared sodas, try and find time to brush not too long afterwards; the braces inhibit the natural "wiping" action of your lips and cheeks, and quite a bit of plaque gets left behind.

3) How bad is the soreness when you get the braces on first? Which do you recommend for the pain: tylenol or ibuprofen?

The soreness varies widely. It may help to take some ibuprofen ahead of time... assuming your Dr. clears you to do so, you may want to take something greater than the regular OTC dose.

[MrsCharisma]

I always eat popcorn - shhhhh!

Things that are hard, chewy or crunchy should be avoided. I was told gum as well but I don't chew gum (don't like artificial sweetners). But I also got a list of forbidden foods....

I don't drink soda but I would just say be prepared to at the minimum rinse your mouth really well after eating and drinking. Brush after if you can.

It's a personal thing and it varies between appointments. I wasn't in much pain at all until I got. Reverse curve wire on bottom. Otherwise it hasn't been too bad.

No extractions.

Good luck!!!

[kathydell]

Honestly, you'll learn what you can and can't do on your own. We're all different. I stay away from hard nuts like almonds and popcorn. The nuts just because I don't want to take any chances in breaking off a bracket. The popcorn because of the chance of getting the hull caught somewhere and irritation and infection. Everything else has been fair game. In a way, I'm sort of dissappointed by that. I thought giving up Tostitos was going to help my wasteline. Little did I know, if I just broke them up into smaller pieces, Tostitos were easy LOL. I also time when I get brave. My ortho is only open Tues-Thurs so I don't go eating something risky on a Friday! I also time when I eat foods that stain the ligs. I love black tea. So, I enjoy my cup or two in the couple of days prior to an adjustment. Same thing with blackberries, red wine, etc. You learn to adapt pretty quickly so you don't have to give up everything you love altogether.

[djspeece]

I do eat popcorn, but carefully to avoid crunching on an unpopped hull. I avoid nuts, but for me that is not a hardship. I eat potato chips as well.
Ibuprofin and other related drugs are superior in many cases for dental pain due to the biochemistry of dental pain, however some prefer tylenol or aspirin. As sirwired suggested you may want to premedicate with ibuprofin not so much for the minimal discomfort of having brackets applied, but for the discomfort that may develop within a few hours
As far as the extractions, just be sure to follow the post-op orders closely. My teeth have long roots, so for me two "routine" extractions prior to braces ended up being a 3 hour ordeal / adventure. But, the oral surgeon said I was the toughest case he had ever encountered. I don't recall having that much of an issue when my wisdom teeth were extracted when I was on active duty (Navy), but that was a long time ago. Best of luck to you!

[Woobster]

My ortho gave me a list, but said that since I was an adult I just needed to be smart with what I ate. The only things I have avoided completely are popcorn and beef jerky. I can eat just about anything else as long as I'm careful.

I'm not a huge soda drinker, but I do enjoy one every now and then. No issues.

I have had very little pain with my braces. My last adjustment was a little rough because I was switched to rectangle wires. I took some Aleve when I got home and was fine.

Good luck!!

[sirwired]

I do eat popcorn, but carefully to avoid crunching on an unpopped hull.

The prohibition on popcorn isn't because of unpopped kernels; the most they could do would be to bend a wire or pop a bracket. The problem with popcorn is the hull on popped kernels (the tough brown bits that get stuck in your teeth.) These are hard, thin, and sharp, and do not soften while sitting there soaked in saliva, and it's possible for one of those to get wedged between a bracket and your gum tissue and you may or may not notice it until it's too late and causes permanent damage.

Is it inevitable? No. But it is enough of a risk that popcorn should be absolutely avoided.

[oimysizex]

You may well want to try drinking your soda out of straws ( not at the same time as extractions as i was advised not to use straws as it could cause dry socket)
but i have noticed drinking out of straws has affected my teeth in a good way

[djspeece]

I do eat popcorn, but carefully to avoid crunching on an unpopped hull.

The prohibition on popcorn isn't because of unpopped kernels; the most they could do would be to bend a wire or pop a bracket. The problem with popcorn is the hull on popped kernels (the tough brown bits that get stuck in your teeth.) These are hard, thin, and sharp, and do not soften while sitting there soaked in saliva, and it's possible for one of those to get wedged between a bracket and your gum tissue and you may or may not notice it until it's too late and causes permanent damage.

Is it inevitable? No. But it is enough of a risk that popcorn should be absolutely avoided.

Thanks for the clarification. I've been lucky with my waterpik on those critters.

[pmonique3]

Hi Korey,

I have had my braces for a month now. My dentist gave me a Don't list and I have followed his instructions. Just like you love soda I love gum but was told not to chew it even if it's the one for dentures. For soreness I have learned that it varies with every person. I have had some soreness however it was not unbearable. The day of appointment I took some tylenol 1 hour before and it was fine. My advice is to follow your dentist orders and in time you will learn what you can eat and what not. On wisdom I currently still have mine but will be getting them out soon. : (
Good luck to you on your journey

[Lorianne]

Soda is a no-no! In fact, carbonated drinks in general are bad for your teeth in braces. Please consider giving up soda for the short term!

For pain, I take Tylenol and gargle with salt water. I also keep Orajel handy for tooth sensitivity mainly. It helps for about 2 mins, but it's better than nothing.

[samoorelaw]

Really chewing gum? Who knew? I avoided that like the plague.

Esp. Since my ortho advised me to.
But I did try it once and it was not a pretty sight.
Do you know how annoying and hard it is to remove chewing gum from ur brackets and archwires?

Let me tell u its SO NOT fun.

So I stayed away from chewing gum since that incident.

I chew sugar free gum all the time and the gum does not stick. The orthodontist basically wants you to avoid gum like Bubble Yum, very sugary, sticky gum that will get caught in your brackets.