Life with braces

Get the most out of your treatment

We want your treatment with braces to be as smooth and comfortable as possible. Here are our top tips for living with braces.

How to brush your teeth with braces

Oral hygiene is even more important when you have braces. To make sure your teeth and gums stay healthy throughout your treatment, you should brush your teeth after every meal and snack. Of course, brushing with braces looks a little different than usual.

When you are fitted with your braces, we will show you the best technique for brushing and flossing around your brackets. It’s important to brush your teeth for 3-5 minutes, making sure to get in between each tooth and bracket. Make sure to floss at least once a day.

What to eat with braces

When wearing fixed braces, you may have to make a few adjustments to your diet to protect your appliance from damage. Some foods you should try to avoid during treatment include:

  • Hard or crunchy foods like hard candies or nuts
  • Chewy foods like gum or gooey bread
  • Sticky food like toffee or caramel
  • Sugary food and drinks (Which can cause plaque buildup and staining)
  • Foods you bite into - like whole apples, crusty sandwiches or corn-on-the-cob (You can still enjoy these if you cut them into bite-sized pieces first)

You can still enjoy most of your favourite foods during treatment, but if you have any questions about what you should or shouldn’t eat, feel free to ask our team. If you do happen to damage your braces while eating, please contact us immediately so we can fix your appliance.

Playing sports and instruments with braces

Don’t worry, you can still enjoy your favourite hobbies while wearing braces! You may just need a little time to adjust. It can take a couple weeks to get used to wearing braces while playing musical instruments, and you can use dental wax in the meantime to ward off any discomfort.

For our athletes, we recommend getting fitted with a custom mouthguard to protect your teeth and braces from impact and friction. Of course, you can also opt for Invisalign® treatment, which means sport and music practice can go completely unhindered.

Still have questions about your treatment?

Contact our team today to learn everything you need to know about sailing through your treatment with ease.

Contact us