Life With Braces
What to Expect and How to Prepare
At Braces Omaha, we provide orthodontics with a smile! While we know that braces take work and require some small lifestyle adjustments from our patients for successful treatment, we also know all the tricks you can use to keep having fun during your orthodontic treatment. The special care required for your new appliances to stay in top shape while they correct your teeth is simple—and before you know it, you’ll be ready to show off your new, straight, healthy smile!
Dr. Stevens will walk you through how to care for your braces and what to expect while wearing them. If you ever have questions about your braces or what to expect for your upcoming braces treatment, contact our office in Omaha, NE. A member of our team will be happy to help.
Eating With Braces
There are so many foods and snacks you can enjoy with braces, and just a few that need to be avoided. The things to avoid are the hard, sticky, chewy, or crunchy items that can damage your appliances. We have a handy list of foods below that will help guide you.
What Not to Eat With Braces (The NO List)
- Chewy foods—bagels, licorice, beef jerky
- Crunchy foods—popcorn, chips, ice
- Sticky foods—caramel candies, chewing gum
- Hard foods—nuts, hard candies
- Foods that require biting into—corn on the cob, whole apples, carrots
What You Can Eat With Braces (Dr. Stevens Approved)
- Dairy—soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
- Breads—soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins (without nuts)
- Grains—pasta, soft cooked rice
- Meats/poultry—soft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
- Seafood—tuna, salmon, crab cakes
- Vegetables—mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
- Fruits—applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
- Treats—ice cream (without nuts), milkshakes, Jell-O®, soft cake
In other words, any food item that seems likely to stick to or damage your braces or appliances should stay on the shelf.
Soreness Caused From Braces and Appliances
While it’s true that patients can experience some soreness or discomfort when they first get their braces or when they are switching aligners, it doesn’t usually last more than a couple of days. Swishing with salt water is a great remedy for oral pain. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a mug of warm water and swish and gargle with it for a couple of minutes (be careful not to swallow the saltwater solution). An over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen, can also help relieve the pain.
It may take some time to get used to how your mouth feels (and talks) with your new braces or appliances. After a week or 2, you will be accustomed to the changes. The Braces Omaha team will provide a special wax that can be applied to the braces if you experience irritation on your lips, cheeks, and tongue while you are adjusting.
Loose teeth during your treatment is normal. The looseness is a good sign that everything is moving as it should. Any loose teeth will tighten back up once your treatment has been completed.
Loose Wires and Bands
It may happen that one of your wires or bands becomes loose or breaks. Please contact our practice if this happens and we will work with you to fix the problem. If you are unable to see us right away, and you’re feeling confident about trying it, you can use the back of a spoon or a pencil eraser to move a loose or poking wire back into position. If you have pain or irritation because of a broken wire, using some wax or a cotton ball soaked in water placed over the part of the braces or appliance causing the irritation can help. Be sure to bring any piece(s) of your appliance that may have broken or fallen off to the appointment, so we can make repairs.
Taking Care of Your Appliances
When you follow Dr. Stevens’ instructions for keeping your appliances in top shape, your treatment is going to run smoothly and your new smile is going to show it. The success of your overall treatment requires that you become a hardworking caretaker of your appliances and braces. This extra effort right now is more than worth it in the long run. We will show you how to take care of your appliances when you receive them. The general practice is simple: consistently wear your headgear, rubber bands, retainer, and other appliances, and avoid the foods on the NO list.
Playing Sports With Braces
When you’re on the playing field, it’s a good idea to wear a mouth guard, especially when you have braces. A mouth guard will help protect against damage to your mouth and your appliances. In the case of a sports emergency, check your mouth and appliance for any signs of damage. Contact us as soon as possible if you notice a loose wire or bracket. You can use wax on the damaged parts of your appliances to keep any irritation in check until you are able to come into the practice.
Taking Care of Your Teeth
Our goal is the same as yours: to get exceptional results within a sensible amount of time so you can enjoy your new smile. When you maintain excellent oral hygiene habits during your orthodontic treatment by continuing to brush and floss your teeth normally, your treatment will be more efficient, and you will also keep cavities and gum disease away. It’s a win-win!
Braces in Omaha, NE
During your adjustment appointments, the team at Braces Omaha will check in with you to make sure that your treatment plan is on track. Our office is equipped with advanced 3D imaging technology to monitor your progress throughout treatment. If you have a question for us and do not have an appointment scheduled, please give us a call at our Omaha, NE, practice. We are always available and happy to help and can even guide you through solutions over the phone.
Hear From Braces Patients
These patients can tell you about their firsthand experience undergoing braces at our office.
Reviews From Our Braces Patients
"My name is Staci. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, and my son Beckham is a patient of Dr. Stevens. When we first came to Braces Omaha, we were blown away. Dr. Stevens' office is unbelievably inviting and friendly. Everybody here is so nice and make you feel so welcome and at ease. Dr. Stevens just walked right up to us and introduced himself. It's just such a friendly, wonderful environment, and I think we are both going to be really surprised at how much brighter and better his smile's going to be when the braces come off. I would absolutely recommend Dr. Stevens to any of my friends or family."
"My name is Emma, and I'm from Omaha, Nebraska. I came to Braces Omaha for a Herbst Appliance and braces. I was very nervous the first time I came in here. They comforted me and told me that it wouldn't hurt that bad. Dr. Stevens is very nice. He is very funny. He's kind of like a perfectionist, and he does very well with your teeth. He made my experience very fun. My brace is off right now; it feels like there's a lot more room in my mouth, and my teeth feel very smooth. I am very excited I have straight teeth. If I have a friend that needed braces, I'd tell them to go to Braces Omaha with Dr. Stevens. I would come back if I could."
"My name is Jeff; I'm from Omaha, and I came to see Dr. Stevens to get Invisalign. I had an underbite, and I also knew when my wisdom teeth came in that it caused a significant amount of crowding with my teeth. As soon as I came in for my initial consultation, they were very welcoming here. They're not just invested in your Invisalign treatment plan; they want to know about you, the person. For me, that was kind of what set this office apart as to some of the others I visited for consultations. Dr. Stevens has been great to work with. I started noticing improvement within probably a month or two. I just feel like with the treatment plan, the detail he goes into — I just feel like it's hard to beat for his service. Come see Dr. Stevens — you won't be disappointed."
"My name is Zac, and I came to Braces Omaha to get WildSmiles and Herbst. My experience here with Dr. Stevens was very fun. Dr. Stevens was a very nice guy, and he made lots of jokes. It made me laugh. I was feeling a little nervous when I first came in. Dr. Stevens made me feel comfortable here. The team here was very polite and nice to me. I love the way my teeth look with WildSmiles. I chose diamond because it reminds me of Superman. When I get these braces off, I’m looking forward to chewing bubblegum. I would recommend coming to Braces Omaha and getting WildSmiles. It’s a cool practice."
"My name is Lori; I am from Omaha, and I came to Dr. Stevens to have him do orthodontic treatment and provide me with ceramic braces. When I first walked in, it was a very warm and friendly atmosphere. Everyone is very nice, very personable. They just treat you like you're part of the group, and Dr. Stevens has a lot of energy. He's extremely people-oriented. I feel more confident knowing that my teeth are getting taken care of by someone who knows what they're doing. I just know when I get my braces off, it's going to be a really great feeling as well. I had a great experience at Braces Omaha."
A Happier Smile Starts Here
We’re a family-friendly practice that provides optimal orthodontic care in a comfortable, approachable setting. To learn more about your treatment options for yourself or your child, we encourage you to contact Braces Omaha to schedule a complimentary consultation.