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You may
be surprised how quickly you get used to your appliances.
Then life should be much the same as before. You can still
play sports and even play your musical instrument. But you
do need to be careful of your appliances. That's because they
can be easily damaged. Follow the tips below. If you do, you
may get your appliances off sooner.
When You Eat
Softer
Is Better
Soups, stews, pasta, enchiladas, and rice and won ton dishes
are good choices. Chicken, fish
and meat loaf are easy to chew too.
Make It Bite-Size
- Cut
chewy foods like steak, pizza, and submarine sandwiches
into pieces.
- Cut
meat off the bone. Chewing on bones can loosen an appliance.
- Slice
fresh vegetables and fruit. Biting into a whole carrot or
apple can damage a wire or other appliance.
- Cut
fresh corn off the cob before you eat it.
Avoid These Troublemakers
- Bubble
gum, caramels, taffy, jellybeans, and other sticky foods
can loosen or even break your appliances.
- Hard,
Crunchy Foods
- Ice,
popcorn, nuts, corn chips, crusty bread, and hard candy
can damage a wire or appliance.
- Sugary
Foods
- Sweets
and soft drinks can cause tooth decay under appliances.
If you eat them, brush your teeth right away.
When You
Play Sports Wear a Mouthguard
You can
still play soccer and other contact sports. But you need to
get a special mouthguard from your orthodontist. This mouthguard
fits over your braces. It helps protect your appliances
and keep them from getting broken.
Caring for Your Appliances
If a Wire Gets Loose gently
tuck the wire back in place with a blunt object, such as the
eraser end of a pencil. If you can't nudge it back, cover
the end with a piece of wax or sugarless gum. Then give your
orthodontist a call.
The Ins and Outs of Headgear
Always
undo the strap on your headgear before you slide the facebow
into or out of your mouth. And don't force your headgear in
or out, or tug on it.
If your headgear breaks, or if you lose it, call our orthodontist
right away.
Keep Things Out of Your Mouth
Biting your fingernails or chewing on the ends of pencils
can loosen or even break appliances.
So can picking at them. Keep everything except food out of
your mouth. That way you'll get your
appliances off sooner.
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This
health article is made available by
Dr. Michael L Stepovich DDS a Orthodontist. Orthodontic office
at 4110 Moorpark Ave, San Jose, CA 95117. Dr. Stepovich is easy reachable from
all of San Jose, Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Cupertino, Campbell, Milpitas, and Mountain View.
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