It’s an exciting time to finally get your braces on, but what you might not expect is how foreign your mouth feels afterward. The metal presses against your cheeks, your teeth ache when you bite down, and suddenly, even eating soft bread seems challenging. Getting braces marks the beginning of a journey that transforms your smile, but the path requires patience and some minor adjustments in what and how you eat. 

On average, orthodontic treatment lasts about 24.9 months, and how you care for your braces during that time directly impacts both your comfort level and how quickly you reach that finish line. The difference between a smooth experience and a frustrating one comes down to understanding what to eat, mastering proper cleaning techniques, and knowing how to manage discomfort when it hits. 

Read on for practical tips that make living with braces more comfortable, including what to do when your mouth is sore, food gets stuck, or you wonder if what you're doing is enough to protect your smile from decalcification around the brackets and wires.

Eating with Braces: Foods to Avoid vs. Foods You Can Have

During the first few days of orthodontic treatment, soft foods become your best friends. If you're wondering what to eat after getting braces, foods like pasta, yogurt, smoothies, mashed potatoes, and well-cooked vegetables can be chewed easily and won’t become caught in your brackets and wires. Scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and tender fish are also great choices. 

Foods to Avoid During Orthodontic Treatment

Throughout your treatment, it’s important to take care of your braces as much as you take care of your teeth. Hard, sticky, and crunchy foods pose the biggest risks to your orthodontic appliances and are commonly listed under foods to avoid with braces. These foods can cause dental pain and even snap a bracket right off your tooth. Sticky foods like caramel, gum, and taffy easily get stuck in brackets and can lead to tooth decay if not cleaned off quickly. Popcorn kernels and hard chips also create enough force to bend wires out of position. Even foods that seem innocent can cause damage. Hard taco shells, crusty bread, and raw carrots all belong on your avoid list until your braces come off.

How to Brush Your Teeth With Braces Properly

Brushing with braces requires a little more attention than you might be used to, but with a little practice, good oral hygiene with braces can become second nature: 

  • Position your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle where your gums meet your teeth 
  • Work the bristles gently along the gum line, then angle down to clean the top of each bracket
  • Tilt your brush upward to clean underneath the brackets where food loves to hide
  • The whole process should take at least three to five minutes after every meal 

Having the right tools makes this job easier:

  • A soft-bristled toothbrush protects your gums from irritation, though many people find electric toothbrushes more effective at reaching around brackets
  • Fluoride toothpaste strengthens your enamel while you work
  • Interdental brushes are handy for cleaning between brackets and under wires where your regular toothbrush can't reach
  • Floss threaders or orthodontic flossers designed to navigate around your hardware

Flossing with braces also takes some practice. Thread your floss under the wire between two teeth, then slide it up and down along each tooth surface and just under the gum line. Move to the next space and repeat. Water flossers offer a faster alternative, as they can blast away debris in seconds. Either method works, but the key is doing it every day.

How Long Do Braces Hurt? 

The first week with braces can be a challenge. Your teeth will likely ache constantly, and your cheeks may feel raw from rubbing against brackets. Days one through three hit hardest. The discomfort typically peaks around day two, then gradually improves. By day seven, most people have significant relief. After that, every adjustment appointment restarts the discomfort cycle, though usually less intensely than your initial experience.

How to Relieve Pain and Discomfort from Braces

Each orthodontic adjustment can leave your teeth feeling tender as new pressure is applied to your teeth and jaw. This soreness means that your braces are working, and will usually fade within a few days as your teeth and jaw get comfortable in their new position. During that time, there are a few things you can do to stay comfortable: 

  • Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help with pain and inflammation. Take them as directed on the bottle, ideally right after your appointment, which can help make the adjustment more tolerable.
  • Orthodontic wax can also help keep you comfortable during treatment. If you feel a wire poking you or a bracket is starting to cause a sore, you can pinch off a small piece, roll it into a ball, and press it over any bracket or wire that rubs against your cheek or lip. 
  • Over-the-counter oral numbing gels containing benzocaine can also create a temporary protective barrier over the sore. 

What to Do When a Bracket or Wire Breaks

Having a bracket or wire come loose happens to almost everyone at some point during treatment. 

  • If a bracket detaches from your tooth, call your orthodontist for an appointment within a few days
  • If you have a wire that shifts out of position and starts poking you, use orthodontic wax to protect the sensitive tissues of your cheek or lips, and call for an appointment within a few days 
  • If you start to experience sharp or severe tooth pain, call for an emergency appointment 

Prevention is the best way to avoid an emergency visit to the orthodontist. Following food restrictions protects your brackets from the forces that break them loose, and wearing a mouthguard during sports can also help you avoid an emergency. 

Where to Find the Best Orthodontist in Palo Alto for Braces and Invisalign

Living with braces can be a challenge at first, but having an orthodontist who can walk you through every stage of treatment can help. 

Dr. Merna Tajaddod and her team offer a patient-centered approach to care that keeps your comfort as a high priority. Orthodontics works best when you feel heard rather than processed, and when your questions get real responses instead of scripted reassurances. 

Ready to get the smile of your dreams with comfortable, patient-first care from the best orthodontist in Palo Alto?