What foods should I avoid during orthodontics?
During braces treatment, avoid hard, sticky, or chewy foods. This is because if a bracket comes off or a wire bends, the teeth can move in an unwanted direction in the meantime.
| Type | Examples | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Hard foods | Ice, hard candy, nuts, hard snacks | Brackets come off, wires bend |
| Sticky foods | Caramel, jelly, rice cakes, gum | Sticks to the appliance and pulls brackets off |
| Chewy foods | Dried squid, jerky, meat on the bone | Brackets come off while pulling and chewing hard |
| Foods you bite into whole | Whole apples, corn on the cob, whole drumsticks | Front tooth brackets come off |
It is less that you can’t eat them and more that you need to change how you eat them. Slice apples thinly, and cut meat into small pieces and chew with your back teeth. With clear aligners, you take them out to eat, so there are almost no such restrictions.
What can I drink while wearing clear aligners?
While wearing the aligners, drink only water. Coffee and tea stain the aligners, and juice, carbonated drinks, and sweet drinks let sugar and acid pool inside the aligners, raising the risk of cavities. Hot drinks can warp the aligners.
The rule is to brush after eating and drinking and then put them back in. If brushing is hard when you are out, at least rinse your mouth thoroughly with water before putting them in.
How do I use an orthodontic toothbrush?
An orthodontic toothbrush has a V-shaped groove in the middle, designed to clean above and below the brackets together as it passes over them. It is best to brush for more than 3 minutes at a time, in a set order.
- Between the brackets and gums: tilt the brush at 45 degrees and sweep from the gum side toward the brackets.
- Below the brackets: tilt it the other way and brush from the chewing-surface side toward the brackets.
- On the brackets: hold the brush upright and scrub the brackets and wire with short strokes.
- Brush the inner surfaces and chewing surfaces as usual.
- Between the brackets, pass an interdental brush under the wire to clean.
How do I floss during orthodontics?
With braces, floss has to go under the wire, so use orthodontic floss with a stiff end or a floss threader. Once a day before bed is realistic.
If flossing is a hassle, a water flosser that rinses with a stream of water can help. However, it cannot scrape off the bacterial film, so it does not replace a toothbrush and floss. How to use one is written up in How to use a Waterpik.
What should I do if a bracket comes off or a wire pokes me?
If a wire or bracket pokes the inside of your mouth, pinch off a pea-sized piece of orthodontic wax to cover that spot, and contact the clinic as soon as possible. Don’t throw away a bracket that came off; just bring it in.
Soreness for 2–3 days after the appliance is adjusted is common; eat soft foods and take a painkiller if needed. If it hurts for more than a week or one tooth hurts unusually, it needs to be checked.
How we do it at Wonjin Dental
During orthodontics, tartar tends to build up in areas that are hard to brush, so we check the condition of your gums at checkups as well. Insurance-covered scaling is available once a year, and beyond that it is scaling not covered by insurance (₩60,000). For those worried about cavities, we may also suggest fluoride application (₩30,000).
For those with clear aligners, we check aligner care and wearing time at every checkup, and for those with braces, we check whether any brackets have come off. Orthodontic methods can be found on the Clear aligners page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I chew gum during orthodontics?
During braces treatment, gum sticks to the appliance, so it is best to avoid it. With clear aligners it is fine if the aligners are out, but rinse your mouth after chewing gum before putting them back in.
My bad breath has gotten worse during orthodontics. Why?
Because food and bacterial film easily remain around the appliance. With clear aligners, odor also soaks into the aligners themselves, so brush the aligners every day too. Cleaning the back of the tongue also helps.
White spots have appeared on my teeth during orthodontics.
It may be demineralization, where the enamel around the brackets has started to dissolve from acid. In the early stage, correcting your brushing and using fluoride can keep it from progressing, so be sure to show it at your next checkup.
