Eating normally after braces adjustment: the short version
After a braces adjustment most people eat soft foods for 2 to 3 days and then return to their usual braces diet. The adjustment harms nothing, so you can eat immediately; it is just that newly tightened teeth are sore to bite on. Keep in mind that a normal diet with braces never includes hard and sticky foods, which break brackets and bend wires at any stage of treatment.
What is actually going on
A new or tightened wire puts fresh pressure on the teeth, and within a few hours the ligament around each root becomes inflamed. Biting then feels bruised, usually peaking on the first or second day and fading by the third. During that time anything requiring a firm bite hurts, especially with the front teeth. Soft foods get you through: soups, pasta, eggs, yogurt, smoothies, mashed potatoes, soft fish, bananas. Once the soreness passes, the standing rules of braces apply again. Hard foods such as nuts, ice, hard candy, and popcorn kernels knock brackets off. Sticky foods such as caramel, taffy, and gum pull on wires and bands. Foods you bite into, such as apples, raw carrots, corn on the cob, and crusty bread, should be cut up and chewed at the back.
The first time, step by step
After 2 to 3 days, a simple check is to press your front teeth together. If that no longer feels bruised, your usual braces diet can come back. Make the first firmer meal one you cut up and chew at the back, then look in a mirror afterward. Check that nothing is wedged around the new wire and that the wire ends and hooks sit where they did when you left the office. If you were given elastics, put in a fresh pair after eating. A tooth that is still too sore to chew on after a week is worth mentioning to your orthodontist.
Eat Normally After Braces Adjustment: What You Need to Know
Wait time
After a braces adjustment, you should wait soft foods for 2-3 days before eating normally.
Why
Teeth move and become sore
Warning
Teeth will be sore
Tips for Eating normally After Braces Adjustment
- 01Make the first meal after an adjustment something soft and cool, such as yogurt or a smoothie, which also soothes the ache.
- 02Over-the-counter pain relief taken as directed on the label can help on the first day; check with the orthodontist or a pharmacist if unsure.
- 03Cut firm fruits, vegetables, and meats into bite-size pieces for the back teeth instead of biting with sore front teeth.
- 04If a bracket comes loose or a wire shifts while eating, call the orthodontist's office to ask whether it needs fixing before the next visit.
Common mistakes
- 01Biting through a pizza crust or a bagel with the front teeth on the first evening. Those teeth usually take the brunt of a new wire, and the jolt is enough to put people off eating for the rest of the day.
- 02Taking elastics out for a meal and forgetting to put them back. A few missed hours every day adds up across the weeks between visits, and tooth movement slows to match.
- 03Having curry or mustard the day fresh clear ties or a power chain go on. Clear elastics pick up yellow pigment almost at once, and they stay that color until the next adjustment.
Other Activities After Braces Adjustment
See when you can do other activities after your braces adjustment:
Table 1 — Other activities after braces adjustment
| Activity | Wait |
|---|---|
| Use a Straw | Immediately |
| Smoke | No restriction |
| Drink Alcohol | No restriction |
| Drive | Immediately |
| Exercise | Immediately |
| Return to Work | Immediately |
Recovery info
Recovery timelines are general guidelines based on typical cases. Individual recovery may vary based on your health, the complexity of your procedure, and other factors. Your own dentist's or surgeon's post-operative instructions always take priority over anything on this page. Call them if you are unsure.