Dr. Hamilton advises that you eat softer foods for the first week after you get your braces. After that, you can eat most of the good things you eat now. However, you should not eat hard, sticky, gooey or crunchy foods while wearing braces, as this could pull or knock the braces off your teeth. Examples of foods that should be off-limits are:

• Jolly Ranchers
• Lifesavers
• Starbursts
• caramels

• tortilla chips
• hard taco shells
• jerky
• corn on the cob
 • popcorn
• meats on the bone
• pizza crusts
• French bread crusts

Hard fruits and vegetables need to be cut into small, bite-size pieces. Pens, pencils and other foreign objects need to be kept out of the mouth. Avoiding these hazards will help you to accomplish your treatment goals right on schedule.

Occasionally throughout treatment, you might experience some discomfort. For relief, you may use pain relievers that you would normally take if you were experiencing a headache, or rinse your mouth with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of warm water to help relieve discomfort in your mouth.

Dr. Hamilton encourages all of his patients to follow these guidelines for maximum oral health and comfortable orthodontic treatment. Always remember to brush your braces and teeth thoroughly after every meal and snack.

Remember that even a small snack can cause stains or discoloration of your teeth if food particles are not properly removed from your braces after eating. If you are unable to brush your teeth, try rinsing your mouth with water to loosen food that might otherwise remain trapped in your braces. Be sure to maintain a regular dental cleaning schedule with your family dentist to ensure optimum oral hygiene and prevention of cavities. Your dental health and hygiene is part of the key to successful orthodontic treatment.

Archwire

 Large main wire.
Bands Circular metal braces on the molars.
Brackets Braces bonded to the front teeth.
Bumper Sleeve Soft, colored tube placed on the side of an archwire to protect the cheek.
Doughnuts (Ties) Small colored rubber rings that hold the archwire to the bracket.
Elastics Tiny rubber bands that move your teeth in a way that braces alone cannot.
Headgear An appliance with a trap that fits around your head creating pressure that helps to straighten teeth.
Headgear Tubes Tubes located on the upper back molars that hold the headgear in place.
Palatal Expander An appliance that fits in the roof of the mouth and expands the palate.
Power Chain Colored elastic ties connected in a chain.
Springs Metal springs that help open or close spaces between teeth.
Wire Ties Fine wires which secure the archwire to the brackets.

  • If you wear braces, don't eat foods that are hard, sticky, crunchy or chewy. Avoid candy, gum, nuts and corn on the cob. Cut raw vegetables and fruit into small pieces.
  • Don't pick at or pull on braces even if it makes your teeth feel better.
  • Don't flick your retainer around with your tongue.
  • Remove headgear and wear a mouthguard when playing sports.
  • Try to learn as much about your orthodontic appliances as you can. This will help you talk to us about any problems that you might have.
  • Always keep orthodontic wax handy and carry a travel toothbrush.

Losing a bracket can mean losing valuable treatment time; it is essential that you promptly call and notify us of any breakage. Some breakage needs to be taken care of right away, while some breakage can wait until our mutual schedules can accommodate a repair appointment. Please do not wait until your regular adjustment appointment to inform us of breakage. Time is allotted for the procedure we have planned to perform only. Often, we do not have time to do both the repair and the planned adjustment. A call ahead of time may allow us to add more time to an adjustment appointment, or to schedule a separate repair appointment as soon as possible. If you should accidentally swallow an orthodontic bracket, don't panic. All of our brackets are made of medical-grade stainless steel or porcelain ceramic and will pass harmlessly through your digestive tract.

If you have a lost or broken retainer, make sure you contact our office as soon as possible. In most cases, Dr. Hamilton will need to create a duplicate retainer to complete your orthodontic treatment; this will include taking a new impression. When your teeth are just settling into their new healthy and straight positions, your retainer is essential to maintaining the smile achieved by your braces. For this reason, wearing and taking good care of your retainer is just as important as wearing your braces or orthodontic appliance. Make sure that you notify us promptly so we can schedule a retainer replacement appointment for you, to prevent your teeth from shifting back to their old positions.

Occasionally during treatment, an archwire may shift and become more exposed behind the molar band on one side. This can be very uncomfortable and we will remedy this as soon as possible. Be sure to notify our scheduling coordinator any time there is pain or discomfort due to a wire poking, or a wire coming out of its slot. To avoid irritation, please use the wax provided until we see you. To help heal an irritation, rinse your mouth with a mixture of 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup of warm water.