How to Eat After Getting Braces or a Tightening

Opt for Soft Foods. Soft and non-chewy foods are ideal when wearing braces. These are less likely to damage the braces and cause pain for sensitive teeth. You can still eat some harder foods like vegetables, but they should be steamed until soft and easy to chew. Some recommended soft foods that won’t irritate sensitive teeth include:

• Soft cheese
• Yogurt
• Soup
• Tender, cooked meats (such as chicken, meatballs, deli meats, etc.)
• Boneless soft seafood (fish, crab meat)
• Pasta/noodles
• Mashed or boiled potatoes
• Soft rice
• Eggs
• Soft-cooked beans
• Soft bread without hard crusts
• Soft tortillas
• Pancakes
• Soft baked goods like cookies or muffins
• Pudding
• Applesauce
• Bananas
• Milkshakes, smoothies, or ice cream
• Gelatin

Avoid Hard Foods. Hard foods can damage your braces and cause varying degrees of pain during the days following the installation or adjustment of your braces. It's best to avoid crunchy or brittle foods, especially after visiting your orthodontist. Some common hard foods to avoid include:

• Nuts
• Granola bars
• Popcorn
• Ice cubes
• Hard bread crust
• Bagels
• Pizza crusts
• Potato chips and tortilla chips
• Hard taco shells
• Raw carrots (unless cut into very small pieces)
• Apples (unless sliced thinly)
• Corn on the cob (only eat kernels, avoid biting into the whole cob)

Reduce Sticky Foods. Sticky foods are not ideal for braces and may cause pain when chewing, especially in the early days of wearing braces. Chewy candies and gum are among the worst offenders and should be avoided. Some sticky foods to avoid include:

• Chewing gum
• Licorice
• Hard toffee
• Caramel
• Sticky candies like Starburst
• Sugary treats like Sugar Daddies
• Chocolate
• Cheese

Cut Food into Small Pieces. How you eat is one of the biggest risk factors for damaging your braces. Biting food the usual way can cause your brackets to come loose or break. To avoid this, it's recommended to cut your food into small pieces. This technique helps limit the number of times your teeth have to chew the food at any given time.

• Use a knife to separate the kernels from the cob. The kernels are soft enough to eat safely, but biting into the cob can cause tooth pain, damage to your braces, or jaw discomfort.
• Cut apples into slices before eating. Similar to corn, biting into the core of an apple can lead to pain or damage to your braces.
• Even when eating soft foods suitable for braces, it's best to cut them into smaller pieces. This will help manage pain and protect your teeth from injury.

Chew Using Your Back Teeth. Most of us don't give much thought to which teeth we use for biting and chewing food. However, when you first get braces, your teeth become more sensitive. Therefore, you should chew with your back teeth, which are generally thicker and better suited for grinding food, to minimize pain in your front teeth.

• When chewing, avoid tearing or breaking food with your front teeth. This is another reason why cutting food into smaller pieces is beneficial.
• Another way to protect your teeth is by placing food further back in your mouth (but not so far as to risk choking).
• If you're not used to putting food deep into your mouth and are concerned about biting the fork, you can try holding the food with your hand and gently placing it in a position that allows you to chew with your back teeth.

Eat Slowly. Even when you're very hungry (especially when your teeth are too sore to eat in the early days after getting your braces), it's crucial to eat slowly. Eating too quickly can cause you to forget the correct eating habits (taking small bites, chewing with your back teeth) and increase the risk of biting into hard seeds or bones. Chewing too fast can lead to tooth pain or irritation. This is because the bone and ligaments supporting your teeth are already weakened due to the force used to align your teeth.

• Drink plenty of water while eating. This helps you swallow more easily if the food is hard to chew. Drinking water also helps rinse away food debris that may stick to your braces.

Rinse with Saltwater. Your teeth, gums, lips, tongue, and cheeks may feel sore for a few days after getting or adjusting your braces. This is normal and can be managed in various ways. The simplest way to reduce inflammation in your mouth is by rinsing with a saltwater solution.

• Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in a cup of 240 ml of warm water. Make sure the water isn't too hot to avoid burning your mouth.
• Stir until the salt dissolves completely.
• Rinse with the saltwater solution whenever needed throughout the day, especially during the first week after getting or adjusting your braces. Spit out the solution after rinsing.

Apply Dental Wax to Sharp Braces Wires. Many people with braces experience pain when their lips, cheeks, or tongue rub against the metal braces. Others may have wires that poke into their mouth repeatedly. Both of these issues are quite common. The best way to handle the pain is to apply dental wax to the brackets or wires causing the discomfort. Dental wax can help when your mouth is adjusting to the new braces or can serve as a temporary fix until you visit your orthodontist for adjustments. However, if your braces break or the wires poke out, it's best to see your orthodontist as soon as possible for proper care.

• Only apply dental wax to the brackets. Ask your orthodontist for wax to take home or purchase it from a pharmacy.
• If the wax keeps falling off while you're applying it, you can ask your orthodontist to heat a small amount of Gutta-percha plastic and apply it to the wire. The plastic will cool in about 40 seconds and stay on the wire longer than regular wax.

Take Pain Relievers. If you experience severe pain after getting or adjusting your braces, you may want to consider taking medication to manage the discomfort. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil) are very effective for pain relief.

• When giving medication to young children or teenagers, avoid using Aspirin as it can cause Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal condition in children and teens. Reye's syndrome is a health issue caused by the use of Aspirin in young people.

Floss Regularly. It may be difficult to floss with new braces, but this step is more crucial than ever when wearing braces. Food can easily get stuck between your teeth or around the braces, causing discomfort and increasing the risk of infection. Dental tools like Floss Threaders or Superfloss make it easier to floss between your teeth and around the wires of your braces.

• Floss beneath the wire, then thread the floss through the top of the wire between each tooth group.
• Shape the floss into a C while cleaning each tooth to ensure all food particles are removed.

Brush After Every Meal. Brushing is essential when you wear braces, and it’s especially helpful when your braces are newly installed or adjusted. Food debris can cause discomfort to your teeth and soft gums. Brushing after every meal and before bedtime helps eliminate food particles.

• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to ease any discomfort while brushing your teeth and gums.
• Consider using an interproximal brush to clean between your braces and wires.
• Brush towards the tongue to ensure all food debris is removed. This means brushing downwards for your upper teeth and upwards for your lower teeth.
• Don’t rush brushing. Spend about 2-3 minutes brushing each time to clean every surface of each tooth.
• You may need to repeat brushing and rinsing more often than usual, as plaque has spread to a larger area including your teeth and braces.

Wear Orthodontic Elastics as Directed. Your dentist may recommend using orthodontic elastics to help straighten misaligned teeth. While the braces themselves work to align your teeth, elastics may be necessary to correct issues like overbite or underbite. These elastics are worn by hooking each end onto special hooks on opposite sides of your braces (usually one at the front and one at the back, one at the top and one at the bottom on each side).

• Wear the orthodontic elastics 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until your orthodontist advises you to stop.
• Remove the elastics only when eating or brushing your teeth. Otherwise, keep them on continuously, even while sleeping.
• You may want to remove the elastics for a few days after each adjustment, but it’s best to follow the orthodontist’s specific recommendations for optimal results.

Follow Your Appointment Schedule. Orthodontists typically schedule monthly follow-ups and adjustments for your braces. Adhering to the recommended appointment schedule is crucial to ensure your braces work effectively and that your teeth continue to progress toward their desired alignment. Delaying adjustments can only prolong the time you’ll need to wear braces. Additionally, it’s important to visit a dentist at least once every 6 months to ensure your teeth remain healthy and that you maintain good oral hygiene habits.