If you're planning a trip to a music festival, you might be worried about your braces getting damaged and spoiling the fun. Luckily, it's easy to stay one step ahead of any potential problems by making some smart preparations. Read on for three tips on how to keep your braces in top shape without ruining your festival vibe.
Avoid high-risk foods
Ever bitten into an apple and felt a painful 'snap'? Certain foods can cause braces to break or pop out of place, and this is the last thing you want while you're trying to enjoy a festival. Try to avoid high-risk foods while you're away from home, and stick to snacks you know won't cause harm.
Here's what you should avoid:
- Hard or crunchy foods, which can cause wires to snap—for example, taco shells, popcorn, nuts, crusty bread and boiled sweets.
- Very gooey or sticky foods which can easily get caught in your braces—for example, chewing gum, toffee, jelly sweets.
- Sugary/acidic food and drink, which can wear away both your teeth and your braces. This includes fizzy drinks, wine, candy floss and ice cream.
You don't have to give up everything delicious, but use your common sense and avoid foods that seem too risky.
Put together an emergency brace kit
In the event that something does go wrong with your braces, you want to be prepared. Put together a kit with everything you need to deal with brace-related emergencies.
- Mini mirror - this makes it easy to check for damage or pieces of food in your teeth. If you don't have a mirror, the selfie camera on your phone will do the trick.
- Orthodontic brush - this lets you get into small crevices between your teeth and braces. Nobody wants their festival pics ruined by a stray piece of spinach!
- Elastic bands - if you normally wear bands with your braces, be sure to bring plenty of spares along.
- Dental wax - if your braces do snap or break, this can be pushed onto the broken wire to stop it cutting or digging into your mouth.
- Painkillers - essential if you're recently had your braces tightened and don't want a toothache to ruin your weekend.
Put everything in a hard case to ensure it stays safe and is easy to access — a mini first aid kit box works well.
Get the number of a local emergency dentist
In case of a problem you can't solve yourself, get the number of an emergency dentist close to the festival. They'll be able to make broken braces safe and comfortable so you can keep having fun before visiting your regular orthodontist for a proper fix.
Going to a festival and don't want your braces ruining things? Stay prepared with these tips.
