So you’ve got your braces and are now paving your way towards a healthier and more beautiful smile? Congratulations! These orthodontic appliances are well-equipped to straighten your teeth and beautify your smile. They drastically improve the shape of your teeth. However, these braces require special care. To amp up the effect of your braces, you have to be vigilant and careful in your dietary habits. It can take days to up to some weeks to adjust to new appliances in your mouth. You might feel slight irritation or pain while chewing or eating food. That’s completely normal! You will adjust to it soon. Just be sure to follow eating habits as recommended by your orthodontist during this time.
If you are looking for a comprehensive guide on what you can and cannot eat with braces, this blog post is the right place for you.
What foods should you avoid with braces?
It’s important for you to know about what you can and cannot eat with your braces. This helps to increase the longevity of the appliances and also maximizes the result.
Avoid eating crunchy, sticky and hard foods with your braces. Similarly, foods that require biting into such as the corn on the cob or carrots are also not recommended. They can damage the brackets, bands and archwires of your braces. In addition to this, they can also cause immense pain and discomfort.
Here’s a list of foods that you should avoid with braces:
- Chewy foods– they stick to your teeth causing discomfort, can loosen bands and even knock off the braces.
Steak, pizza crust, bagels, liquorice
- Sticky and sugary foods– cause tooth decay, get stuck and can make cleaning your teeth with braces a nightmare!
Candies, toffies, bubble gums, caramel candies, gummy bears, tootsie rolls, sticky hard chocolate or chocolate containing nuts.
- Hard foods– generally bad for your braces’ wires, bands and brackets
This includes hard taco shells, Fudge containing nuts, corn chips, pretzels, nuts, hard candies, cookies or crackers.
- Crunchy foods– the hard kernels of the popcorn may damage your braces.
Popcorn, chips, breadsticks, crackers, sugar snap peas, crunchy veggies
In addition to avoiding the above foods, it is also recommended that you take special care of your braces by not chewing on non-food items such as pencils, pens, straws, ice cubes or your fingernails. Even without braces, you should be avoiding this habit!
What can you eat with braces?
Wondering about what you can eat with braces without damaging the wires and the brackets?
It is advisable that you should consume foods that are softer in texture. This includes soft veggies, fruits, tangerines, kiwi, and nectarines. Munching on strawberries and raspberries is also a great idea!
If you face discomfort or pain while eating meat, you can switch to a healthy protein alternative that includes yoghurt, and cheese. Or you can slow cook chicken, meatloaf, and salmon. Make sure that the meat has no bones and is soft enough to be easily cut with a fork. This is an indication that it is right for you to eat.
Some other things that you can eat with your braces without damaging or loosening the brackets include:
Vegetables– mashed potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower
Fruits– bananas, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries
Dairy products
Soups
Sandwiches, soft grain and bread– pancakes, muffins, eggs, cooked pasta
Even with braces, you can enjoy delicious foods and treat your taste buds! Remembering what you “can” and “cannot” eat during braces and taking care f them can create a positive impact on your treatment plan. For more information and queries, head over to our website: Coral Springs Orthodontics
