If you are getting braces, there are some foods that you should eat and others that you should avoid eating not to damage your braces and to save yourself time cleaning up a mess in your braces. You don't want to damage your wires and brackets and extend your treatment.
What To Avoid
When it comes to food to avoid, there are a few categories of food that you should avoid. You should avoid any food that is chewy, crunchy, sticky, and hard. However, that can feel like a broad category.
Primarily, you want to avoid candies that fall into these categories. For example, chewing gum is sticky and will get stuck to your braces and be a pain to remove. Suckers and jawbreakers are hard and crunchy and could damage your braces. Even treats like popcorn and nuts maybe a little too hard to eat when you have braces. Hard treats also include things such as apples, carrots, and corn on the cob. When in doubt, just skip it.
If you need a sweet fix, stick to softer treats like peanut butter cups or cookies.
You are also going to want to be careful about what you drink. When possible, avoid sugary drinking drinks, such as soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks. Sugary drinks can lead to more plaque in your mouth and make it harder for you to keep your teeth clean and healthy as you wear your braces.
You are also going to want to avoid foods that will leave stains. You don't want to get your braces taken off only to be left with stains on your teeth. Foods that leave stains include classic examples such as coffee, tea, curry, and grape juice, and include some non-classic examples like mustard, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. If you eat a food that can stain your teeth, brush and floss a half-hour after eating.
What to Eat
It is important to remember that there are still lots of things that you can eat and drink. If you want a sweet treat, each some peanut butter cup, or some soft cookies. Stick to foods that will not harm your braces or get gummed up in your braces.
For breakfast, enjoy some soft fruit, pancakes, muffins, or some yogurt or a smoothie. For dinner and lunchtime, enjoy items such as soft bread and cheese, cooked rice, pasta, oats, grains, wraps, and tortillas. Enjoy some soap. Eat all the soft and cooked veggies that you want. Enjoy delicate desserts like cupcakes and cake.
With braces, you will want to avoid foods that can damage or get stuck in your braces and avoid things that could stain your teeth. Stick to healthy foods that will not harm your braces, and remember, this is temporary. Schedule a consultation with an orthodontist in your area.
