If you are going to be getting braces, you want to be prepared for all that comes with them. You will have to adjust to having them, which means changing the way you eat and learning how to deal with the discomfort. The good news is that after you get them off, you will have the teeth you've always wanted. Follow the advice in this article to avoid some of the irritation they can cause.

Change your diet

The first thing you want to do is to figure out how you are going to eat with your new braces on. If you think you are going to get right back to eating the way you did without braces, you are mistaken. Certain foods will get stuck in your braces, and some will hurt to chew.

You want to cut your food into small pieces rather than biting it. You'll find it will even be easier to eat foods such as sandwiches and bagels by cutting them first. If you bite into them, a lot of the dough will get lodged in the braces.

Try to stick to eating soft foods. Certain foods like chips, nuts, meat and hard fruits can cause you a great deal of discomfort when you first get your new braces. Especially in the first few weeks, you'll find soup, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, apple sauce, meatless spaghetti, pudding and mashed potatoes to be some good food choices.

Prevent irritation

While some irritation is to be expected when you first get braces, there are still some things you can do to minimize the discomfort. Some of the things you want to do include:

Using orthodontic wax – Orthodontic wax is a wax you put on the areas of your braces that are causing irritation to your tongue or mouth. To use the wax, you will take a small amount and roll it in your fingers until it becomes a small ball. Then, you will press the wax directly onto the part of the braces that are rubbing your mouth.

Rinse with warm salt water – When your mouth hurts, you can rinse with a warm salt water solution. Make the solution by stirring a table spoon of table salt into a warm cup of water. Gargle the solution and swish it in your mouth to ease the discomfort. The solution will also help keep your mouth clean and ward off infection.

Suck on pieces of ice – When your braces are really bothering you, it may bring you relief to suck on small pieces of ice. You do NOT want to chew on the ice, this will cause more pain.

By following the advice in this article you will have an easier time getting used to your new braces. You'll find that they will be less irritating once you get past the first few weeks with them in place.