braces tips

Back to school is here! After a fun summer, it is time to get back into our routines. For some of our patients, they will be returning to school for the first time with braces! No need to be worried; these days, it seems braces are pretty much a ‘rite of passage’, so you’ll fit right in. However, we do have some tips to make sure the transition is a smooth and comfortable one:

• Bring a ‘Braces Care Kit’. Pack a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, wax and lip balm to keep your teeth clean and stay comfortable.
• Make sure you pack braces friendly foods for lunches and snacks. Stay away from the chewy, sticky and hard foods. (After all, no one wants to sit through class with an uncomfortable broken bracket or poking wire).
• Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated will help prevent the dry, cracked lips that sometimes come along with new braces.
• Always wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports (in gym class or on a team). Getting hit in the mouth hurts, especially when you have braces. Prevent injury and pain by wearing a mouth guard. (When in braces you need a mouth guard that is made to wear with braces. Pick one up at our office or at a sporting goods store).
• If you have a removable retainer or appliance always put it in the case at lunch. NEVER wrap it in a napkin – it can easily get thrown out. We see this happen all of the time.