Thirty with Braces

It's great that you're cooking for yourself, as that allows you to try different soft foods until you feel more comfortable eating what you usually eat. There's a huge variety of soft and semi soft foods available, so enjoy a varied diet.

Something to think about ... chewing is good for teeth when they're sore and there's evidence that chewing helps teeth move ... it's to do with increasing the blood flow in and around the areas that the tooth needs to help it move. While your mouth is sore, you will need to find something gentle to chew and where I work, we recommend sugar free chewing gum, the type that states it doesn't stick to dental appliances.

Good luck!

Oh really? I didn't know that! I've had the top braces in for a few months and I don't avoid chewing when one of the teeth is sore from movement. I'm mostly avoiding it now because its all through my mouth and I'm a wuss.

They make gum for braces folk? Huh, guess I learned two things today!

Sunny?!?!! Does this mean I can chew gum?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't really miss it all that much until I smelled some gum in my fiance's pocket last week and then I kept having DREAMS about it...and about how it got stuck to my braces each time!! LOL (Yes, I had more than 1 dream)

We encourage the chewing of sugar free gum ... the type that's states it will not stick to most dental work.

Two reasons we encourage it ... one it's a great way to increase blood flow in your mouth, which is good at reducing soreness and there's evidence to suggest it helps teeth move. Plus gum can be used instead of wax in most instances. An example would be if you had a long piece of wire (say over an extraction site) and it was rubbing your check. By rolling a piece of gum into a sausage, then pressing each end into the brackets either side of the wire, you have the wire covered and it will stop rubbing.

With young patients, we don't recommend they chew gum, mostly because there's some doubt they'd use the sugar free (doesn't stick to dental work) option. Although we often do mention this to their parents. With older teenagers and adults, we tell them about this type of gum.

Is there a specific brand of sugar free gum I should look for? I picked up a few different packs at the store but didn't seen any that advertised being safe with braces. Is it just assumed that any sugar free gum will work?

I've never been a big gum chewer but if it will help the braces I'm willing to impersonate a cow.