Wearing orthodontic braces involves careful oral hygiene and significant dietary changes to ensure a successful treatment outcome. The hardware used to straighten teeth, including brackets and wires, is delicate and can be easily damaged by certain foods and habits. Patient compliance with these instructions is a major factor in determining both the duration of treatment and the final results. Protecting your orthodontic devices from damage helps maintain the continuous, gentle force necessary for controlled tooth movement.
The Direct Answer: Ice and Orthodontic Devices
The immediate answer is that chewing on ice is strongly advised against by nearly all orthodontists. This prohibition applies universally, whether the patient has traditional metal braces, ceramic brackets, or lingual braces. While ice in a drink is acceptable, biting down on a solid ice cube poses a significant mechanical risk. The force required to crush ice can compromise the integrity of the appliance, leading to bent archwires or brackets popping off the tooth surface. Avoiding this habit prevents unplanned emergency visits to the orthodontist.
Understanding How Chewing Ice Causes Damage
The damage from chewing ice stems from a combination of mechanical force and thermal stress on the orthodontic hardware and the tooth itself. Ice is a hard, unyielding substance that requires a great amount of compressive force to fracture. Applying this excessive force against a bracket can cause the thin metal archwire to deform or the bracket itself to detach from the tooth’s enamel. An additional factor is the thermal shock induced by the extreme cold of the ice, causing dental materials to contract differently than the tooth structure. This differential contraction can weaken the adhesive bond over time, and the intense pressure can cause small fractures, known as craze lines, to form in the tooth’s enamel.
Other Foods and Habits to Avoid
Beyond ice, many other foods and non-food habits pose a threat to the components of a fixed orthodontic appliance. Hard items are a major concern because they demand a high biting force that can loosen or break brackets and wires; this category includes foods like nuts, hard candies, popcorn kernels, and hard pizza crusts. Sticky foods present a different risk, as they can adhere to the brackets and wires, potentially pulling the appliance away or bending the archwire, such as caramels, taffy, and certain types of chewing gum. Foods that require biting with the front teeth, like whole apples, carrots, or corn on the cob, should be cut into small, manageable pieces before consumption. Patients should also avoid non-food habits that exert undue pressure on the braces, such as chewing on pens, pencils, or fingernails, to keep the treatment on schedule.
Dealing with Damage and Emergency Care
If a bracket or wire breaks, the first action should be to contact the orthodontist to schedule an unplanned repair appointment. Ignoring a damaged component is not advisable, as a loose bracket cannot correctly apply the necessary pressure, which can delay overall treatment progress and allow teeth to shift incorrectly. Seeking professional repair quickly ensures the teeth continue moving according to the treatment plan. Patients should also be aware that an unplanned appointment to repair damage may incur an additional fee.
Immediate Temporary Relief
For immediate, temporary relief from discomfort, the patient can use orthodontic wax to cover any sharp edges or protruding wires. If a loose wire is poking the cheek or gum, a cotton swab or the eraser end of a pencil can be used to gently push the wire into a more comfortable position. If a bracket comes loose but remains on the wire, it should be left in place and covered with wax until the orthodontist can re-bond it. Rinsing the mouth with warm salt water can help soothe any irritated soft tissues.