Going Back to School with Braces or Invisalign
A Survival Guide For Busy Students During Orthodontic Treatment
Brace Yourself! It’s Back-to-school time already!
School is starting soon, and for any student in orthodontic treatment, we want to help make the transition as easy as possible. Between new class schedules, sports, and after-school activities, it can be a lot to juggle, and the last thing any child needs is their braces or Invisalign adding to the stress.
From packing a braces-friendly lunch to fitting appointments into an already busy season, here’s your survival guide to back-to-school with braces and Invisalign. We’re breaking down everything you need to know to keep your treatment on track.
For Braces Wearers
Braces-Friendly Lunches
One thing that comes with braces, is that there are a few food restrictions. With that being said, packing lunches for school may look a little different during treatment. Since hard, sticky, and crunchy foods can bend wires or pop off brackets, a few smart swaps at lunchtime can help avoid extra visits to the orthodontist.
A few easy, braces-friendly lunch ideas:
- Sandwiches on soft bread, skip the crusty rolls or baguettes
- Cut-up fruits, such as apples, instead of eating them whole
- Pasta, mac and cheese, or soup in a thermos
- Yogurt
Want more ideas? Check out our full guide to braces-friendly foods for a longer list of lunch ideas and foods to avoid.
TIP: Food tends to get stuck in and around the braces brackets more easily. It’s worth keeping a toothbrush, floss, and maybe even a small bottle of mouthwash in your backpack just in case.
When Something Hurts or Breaks
A little soreness after a tightening appointment is completely normal. Your teeth are actually moving, so some discomfort is to be expected. The good news is it’s usually pretty mild and fades within a few days as your mouth adjusts to the new pressure.
If something becomes loose or breaks, it’s most likely not an emergency and you can schedule an orthodontic appointment for repair. As a general rule, call (972) 335-1300 when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. Check out our helpful Orthodontic Tips and Tricks page. Leaving a broken bracket or loose wire alone can not only slow down treatment time, it can also lead to more irritation than necessary. It’s best to get it taken care of quickly rather than waiting until your next scheduled visit.
How to reach RxSmile Frisco Orthodontics with your Braces Concerns
CALL (972) 335-1300
Hours | Mon-Thur from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
After-Hours Emergency
CALL (972) 214-6233 and leave a voicemail.
A staff member will return your call asap.
Playing it Safe with Sports
If you play contact sports, your braces are an important consideration. Unfortunately, they do make an accidental hit to the face a bigger deal. A ball, an elbow, or hitting the ground can cut the inside of your cheek or lip on a bracket. A hit can even bend a wire or knock a bracket completely loose too.
So how do you navigate playing sports such as football, basketball, or soccer, during braces treatment? Get and use a mouthguard specifically made for braces. A regular one won’t fit right over brackets and won’t protect your mouth the right way or fit as comfortably. We typically recommend patients get Shock Doctor’s Braces-Fit Mouthguards.
For Invisalign or Clear Aligner Wearers
Packing The Invisalign Essentials
When it comes to packing the Invisalign essentials in your backpack, the most important thing to remember is your case. Every time you take your aligners out to eat it’s extremely important to always put them in your case so you don’t misplace them or accidentally throw them away.
Other than the case, here are a few other essentials worth keeping in a little kit in your backpack:
- Travel-size toothbrush
- Travel-size toothpaste
- Floss picks
- Small bottle of mouthwash
Having these items on hand makes it easier to clean your teeth before putting your aligners back in. However, we get that school days can get busy, and sometimes there’s only time for a quick rinse with water. At a minimum, thoroughly rinse the retainer with plain water before placing it back in your mouth. If possible, after brushing your teeth, thoroughly brush your retainer with a soft-bristled toothbrush and warm water (do not use hot water as it might warp the retainer and make it unusable). Do not use an abrasive toothpaste on your retainer, as it may scratch it.
The 30-minute Rule at School
Once you take your aligners out to eat lunch, it’s important to remember to not put them back in right away. Eating temporarily raises the acidity in your mouth, so waiting about 30 minutes gives your saliva time to rebalance, helping to protect against cavities, enamel damage, and staining on the aligners themselves. This is another reason why we highly encourage you to always pack a case for them in your backpack!
Lost Your Clear Aligners?
Unfortunately, aligners do still go missing more often than we’d all like. They get wrapped up in a napkin and thrown away, or the case is just misplaced. Because you rotate out trays, it will depend on how long you were wearing the current tray that you just lost. A good rule of thumb is to try the next tray in the rotation. If it doesn’t ‘seat’ or fit well, revert back to using the prior tray and call our office right away. We’ll order you a replacement (for an additional fee) so your treatment can stay on track. If however the next tray does fit, go ahead and proceed with using that one.
Scheduling Appointments During The School Year
Once school picks back up, it can be hard to find time for your orthodontic appointments. We’re here to reassure you that with both braces and Invisalign the visits are pretty manageable.
We use passive self-ligating braces, which means the brackets are spring-loaded and adjust the wire gradually on their own. Because of that, there’s no need for elastics or traditional tightening appointments, so there are actually fewer office visits needed.
With Invisalign, you’ll need to come in about every six weeks so we can check your progress and give you your next set of aligners. Since the trays are premade and move your teeth in small increments, there’s no tightening involved at these visits either.
Whether you have braces or Invisalign, it’s important to stay on top of scheduling your next orthodontic appointment to keep your orthodontic treatment plan on track!
Frequently Asked Questions about Going to School with Braces or Invisalign
Can I still play sports with braces?
Yes, but a special braces-fit mouthguard is a must! We typically recommend a product like Shock Doctor’s Braces Fit Mouthguards. It protects your mouth and braces from an accidental hit.
What foods should be avoided with braces?
You should stay away from hard, sticky, and crunchy foods as they can bend wires and pop off brackets. It’s best to stick to soft breads, cut up fruits, pastas and soups, and even yogurt, to name a few. Check out our braces-friendly food guide for more ideas.
Do I need to take my Invisalign out every time I eat?
Yes. Invisalign should always come out for eating and drinking anything besides water, and it’s important to always store them in their case when you do.
What happens if a bracket breaks or a wire pops out at school?
Check out our helpful Orthodontic Tips and Tricks page to see if this is something you can fix yourself. Otherwise, call our office to get it looked at quickly rather than waiting for your next scheduled visit.
What do I do if I lose my aligners at school?
Depends on how long you’ve worn the current tray that you just lost. Try the next tray, but if it doesn’t ‘seat’ or fit well, revert back to using the prior tray and call our office right away. We’ll order you a replacement (for an additional fee) so your treatment can stay on track. If however the next tray does fit, go ahead and proceed with using that one.
Your best accessory for the new school year is a bold, confident smile!
Remember, straight teeth are a journey, and every school day brings you one step closer to the finish line! Whether you have braces or Invisalign, your treatment doesn’t have to get in the way of a busy school year. Just be sure to pack the right things, know what to do if something goes wrong, and always feel free to reach out to us. We hope you all have a great school year, and can’t wait to see how your smile is progressing at your next appointment!
If you have any questions about going back-to-school with braces or Invisalign, don’t hesitate to contact us at (972) 335-1300 during our regular business hours (Mon-Thur 8am-5pm) or ask at your next appointment!
Invisalign®, the Invisalign logo, and iTero®, among others, are trademarks and/or service marks of Align Technology, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies and may be registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.