I'm new....

[Asharp]

I just got my 6 month smile braces on today, I'm 36.... I am so excited. But the aching hasn't started yet. I have a question though....

My braces are white, so do I have to be careful of what I eat and drink so they do not discolor? Like will red wine turn them pink and coffee and soda turn them yellow??

Thanks for your help and if you have any advice for me I would love to hear it!

[Sunny]

Hi and welcome Asharp!

Great that your mouth is feeling good and hopefully this is how it will be for the length of your treatment.

If you have ceramic brackets they will not stain. If you have clear or tooth coloured ligs around the brackets, they will stain. So do light coloured ligs and many dark coloured ones ... as do powerchains of the same shades.

Some foods stain the ligs fast, like curries, some chinese foods with yellow additives, some tomato based foods and some fruits and veg. Other foods will stain the ligs/powerchains over a period of time, but please don't be too concerned about this, as most orthos will change your ligs if you feel your really need this to happen. Also remember that to us they may look disgusting, but to most people they won't even notice them. We are look at our teeth all the time and are constantly checking etc ... other people just couldn't be less interested in what's happening to our teeth.

Good oral hygiene also can help keep the staining to a minimum. We recommend that patients who chose clear and light coloured ligs/powerchains use a whitening toothpaste. These toothpastes do not whiten teeth, but often they will remove recent staining.

Good luck with achieving the smile you desire in six months!

[mikeg]

Keep your blog on this site. Many people are curious about 6 months braces and we look forward to your posts

[Asharp]

I just started a blog here. I will keep it updated with my progress. So are my teeth supposed to feel like they are loose? Can I chew gum (once I'm not so sensitive)?

[Sunny]

Your teeth have to loosen to be able to move Asharp, so this feeling is to be expected.

Some ortho's ban chewing gum, mostly due to the risk of their patients not using the correct type. We recommend chewing gum, as long as you use the sugar free type that states that it doesn't stick to most dental work. Chewing is great for the health of your gums and has been shown to improve blood flow, which some people believe improves tooth movement.

Good luck!

[lauralea]

Hi and welcome to the site Asharp!
Its great that you started on this journey, and I think we might happen to have the same bonding date (date the braces went on). I have damon clears on, and will be in them for 10-12 months, a little longer than 6 month braces, but probably the same outcome.
Anyhow, I chew sugar free gum all the time, and so far I have no problems with it. The office did say not to chew gum, however now that I cant chew my nails, i have to keep up with something...ehehehe.
Im happy that nothing stains them, but I hope your treatment goes well. Looking forward to following you on your blog.