Your Everyday Owner's Manual
Great results take teamwork. We'll engineer the tooth movement — you'll keep the gear in good shape. Here's how to live your life with braces and barely notice them.
Eating with Braces
No need to survive on soup — just play it smart. Your brackets are bonded firmly, but the wrong bite (think hard, sticky, or chewy) can pop one right off.
Skip These
- Sticky: caramel, taffy, Starburst, gummies
- Hard: ice, whole nuts, hard taco shells, popcorn kernels
- Crunchy: tortilla chips (they wedge around brackets)
- Chewy: bagels, jerky, licorice — tear into smaller pieces first
Bracket-Friendly
- Soft: pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, soup
- Dairy: yogurt, soft cheese, ice cream (skip the nuts)
- Fruit: bananas, smoothies, applesauce, berries
- Protein: fish, eggs, chicken off the bone, tofu
Pro tip: Slice apples, carrots, and corn off the cob into bite-sized pieces instead of biting in. Same satisfaction, zero risk to your brackets.
Keeping Things Clean: The 3×3 Routine
Brackets give plaque new places to hide. Left alone, that plaque can leave permanent white marks on your enamel or inflame the gums — both totally avoidable with a simple daily routine.
Brush Three Times a Day
Morning, after school or work, and right before bed. A consistent rhythm keeps plaque from settling around your brackets and under the wire.
Mind Your Angles
Brush above each bracket (angled down) and below it (angled up) to sweep under the wire. Aim for two full minutes — set a timer if it helps.
Floss Every Single Day
It takes a few extra minutes — worth it. A floss threader or Superfloss slips right under the wire, and a Waterpik is a great companion, but not a substitute.
Sports, Music & Everything Else
Braces should never sideline you. Whether you're on the field or in the band room, here's what you need to keep doing what you love.
Staying Safe on the Field
Keep playing — just gear up. A direct hit to the mouth can be painful when lips meet brackets.
We recommend a soft silicone orthodontic mouthguard built to fit over braces. It cushions your lips while letting your teeth keep moving. Skip the generic boil-and-bite versions — they can grip onto brackets and pull them loose.
Playing Music Through Treatment
Trumpet, flute, sax — expect a short adjustment as your embouchure gets used to the extra thickness of the brackets.
Tip: If your lips get sore mid-rehearsal, smooth a small piece of orthodontic wax over the front brackets. Most musicians are back to full form in a week or two.