Brace care and problems

• With a removable brace or Twin Block, take it out to eat and drink, then brush your teeth and put it straight back in.
• With a fixed brace, avoid hard, sticky and chewy foods (for example toffees, chewing gum, hard sweets, crusty bread) and cut food into small pieces.
• Avoid fizzy and sugary drinks, including diet fizzy drinks and fruit juice. Water and plain milk are best.
• Try to keep sugary foods to mealtimes.

• Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and after meals if you can. Spit out, but do not rinse.
• Use a fluoride mouthwash if your orthodontist or dentist advises it, at a different time from brushing.
• Keep seeing your regular dentist for check-ups.

Aching for a few days after a brace is fitted or adjusted is normal. You can take simple painkillers (always check with a parent and follow the instructions on the packet). If pain does not settle, contact us for advice.

Rinse with warm salt water a few times a day. If it does not get better within a few days, contact us. With a fixed brace, orthodontic wax over the part that is rubbing can help.

Yes. Take a removable brace or Twin Block out for any sport, including swimming, and put it in its case. Put it back in as soon as you have finished. Wear a gumshield for contact sports if your orthodontist advises it. With a fixed brace, wear a gumshield for contact sports – ask us about a suitable one that fits over your brace. More advice: sport and braces.

No. Take your brace out to eat or drink and keep it in its case. After eating, brush your teeth and put it straight back in.

• Each time you brush your teeth, take your brace out and clean it with your toothbrush and toothpaste. Then rinse it in cool water.
• Clean it over a sink filled with water, so it is less likely to break if you drop it.
• Never use hot or boiling water – it can bend the plastic so the brace no longer fits.

• When it is out of your mouth, always keep it in its hard case. Never wrap it in a tissue or napkin – it is easily thrown away.
• Keep it away from pets (dogs love to chew braces).
• Hold the clasps with your fingertips when you take a removable brace out or put it back in.
• Do not try to adjust, bend or repair it yourself.
• Musical instruments: if you play a wind or brass instrument, ask us whether to take your removable brace out while playing.
• Keep your model safe – the model of your teeth we gave you when your brace was fitted. You will need it if your brace breaks or gets lost.

• Avoid hard, sticky and chewy foods. These can break the brace. Examples include toffees, chewing gum, hard sweets, crusty bread, nuts and popcorn.
• Cut food into small pieces. Cut apples and raw carrots into slices rather than biting into them.
• Avoid fizzy and sugary drinks, including diet fizzy drinks and fruit juice. Water and plain milk are best.
• Keep sugary foods to mealtimes.
• Do not bite your nails or chew pens and pencils.

Food gets trapped easily around a brace. If it is not cleaned away, it can cause permanent white marks (decalcification) and tooth decay around the brackets. These marks can stay after the brace comes off.

• Brush your teeth thoroughly after every meal and before bed, using fluoride toothpaste. Spit out, but do not rinse.
• Brush above and below the brackets and along the gum line. Check in a mirror that each tooth is clean.
• Use small interdental brushes to clean between the brackets and under the wire. A single-tufted brush can help with hard-to-reach areas.
• Use a fluoride mouthwash every day, at a different time from brushing (for example after lunch).

If you play a wind or brass instrument, it may take a little while to get used to playing with a brace. Wax can help.