Question for any moms that have dealt with braces

[drigbet]

My 13 year old stepson just showed up this weekend with braces.  Well atleast the front section of his braces.  He has to have surgery for impacted teeth before he gets the rest of his braces.

I never had braces or did my kids.  The only time I dealt with them was when I was a kid and my cousin had them.  So I dont know alot about them, but I do remember my cousin didnt change much about his eating habits other than avoiding taffy and sticky candy like that.  My step son gave us a list a mile long of things he cant eat.  Even including things like chips, pizza, and even hoagie rolls.  It just seems to me like this list is a little extreme. 

Of all you moms that have dealt with this can you fill me in on your experiences?  Is this food list just a starter list while they get use to their braces?  At 13 how much should we expect he can just handle this on his own?  (truthfully he hasnt learned the best habits to start, we have to REMIND him every day to take his meds in morning, brush his teeth, and brush his hair - SO annoying!)

Thanks for any info and advice you can offer!

[e.v._Mom-2-B]

I don't have any children with braces. But I myself currently have braces, so hopefully this will help
I've been w/ braces for going to 5 years. ONLY b/cuz I kept having the luck of breaking them. Children with braces can eat anything other than taffy, hard or sticky candies, and if they are having a regular lollipop, make sure they don't bite on it. that can cause the brackets to break [I should know] anyways, braces are just to have your teeth straighten, and eventhough they are a bit painful to deal with during the first 2 days after you go get them re-tightened. He can eat anything he really wants [and that you let him]

the only thing that the orthondonics limit is things that are like taffy, and bitting into lollipops and such. After every meal though, he will have to brush his teeth and floss inbetween the braces, there are special flosses for that though. due to normal not being able to do the job.

hope this was helpful

[unknownjourney]

My daughter had braces and she could not eat anything hard, so things like popcorn is not good because it can get between their teeth and the brackets and pot them out...apples need to be cut up into small bite size pieces.  Just use common sense....I would even cut up the pizza for my daughter.  I would rather be carefull than have to pay extra to have the ones he has fixed.  Very, very important that he brushes after every meal or his teeth will get stained.  Kind of like a smokers house....if you remove a picture it is all yellow from tobacco around the picture but white behind the pic.

[Runnyisaac]

I have two in braces. I am a real stickler for following the rules with what the orthodontist says are ok foods and not ok foods. I think the whole family has to follow the rules too. I don't think it is fair that the other kids get to eat things when the kids with braces can't. It seems like you don't have the kid that much, so it shouldn't put you out too much. The list is long but it is basically foods that will scratch off the bracket from the tooth. Our orthodontist makes us pay $25.00 per bracket needing replaced so it can get really spendy really fast. If you can make casseroles or Mac and Cheese for the weekend. Pizza without a crisp crust, it's really not that hard. You gave me the impression that it was an inconvenience because it was a step child and that perhaps it wouldn't be so inconvenient if it were one of your own kids. Maybe I am wrong, but the list seem a bit inconvenient at first but eventually becomes second nature. Keep it soft, cut it up and no sugary stuff unless they brush their teeth really good. No gum, popcorn or snacks that come in foil wrappers that end in "O". Dorito, Cheeto, Tostido, etc. Also, he is new to braces so he WILL need to be reminded. It is not like he would be trying to get away with anything, but it is hard to think about what you are putting in you mouth and whether or not it would be ok. I hope his mom sent some bracket wax, or you should go to the pharmacy and get some. It is cheap and helps with the sore spots that new braces can cause. It is just at a regular pharmacy any you pinch off a little bit, warm it up in your fingers and push it into the bracket that is causing the problem. It will eventually fall out, but you just replace it until the sore clears up. I carry it in my purse and we are nearly 1.5 years with braces. It's a real pain reliever.