October is National Orthodontic Health Month, a time of year to raise awareness about healthy smiles and healthy orthodontic living. Whether you already wear a set of braces or are about to start on a treatment plan with us, you’re already on your way to a healthier, more confident smile. Part of that journey is knowing how to live well with your braces, and living well with your braces is understanding the answer to the following – what can and can’t you eat with braces?
Good eating habits play a significant role in helping to protect your braces from damage and keep your treatment moving along smoothly. Certain foods will ease your orthodontic experience, whereas others will result in broken brackets, twisted wires, and unscheduled visits to Dr Angela and the team for repairs (not that we don’t like seeing you, of course!).
This guide from Palm Beach Orthodontics will assist you through your meals with ease so that your treatment is as easy and efficient as possible, especially during October orthodontic month.
Foods to Avoid with Braces
When you have braces, some foods briefly become enemies of your hardware. These kinds of foods warp wires out of shape, break off brackets, and jam into awkward nooks that are difficult to access in order to clean properly, thus causing a buildup of plaques and cavities. As our professional team will tell you, you’re better off without anything particularly hard, sticky, or chewy.
You should not regularly eat hard foods like nuts, hard candies, and even ice, because they will put pressure on your braces that will result in broken pieces. Biting on hard foods, like apples or carrots, is also a risk, so you must cut those into smaller pieces to be safe.
Sticky foods like gummy candies, taffy, and caramel tend to stick to your braces and tug on your wires and brackets. They are also hard to scrub off of your teeth, so it is even more likely that sugar stays on your tooth enamel for a longer period.
Tough foods like hard bagels and hard rolls require a lot of force to chew. This can push against your braces and could lead to irritation or destruction. You might want to avoid these until your orthodontic work is complete.
Braces-Friendly Food to Enjoy
Fortunately, a lot of healthy, good-tasting foods can be enjoyed when you have braces. You just have to choose soft and easy-to-chew foods that will not affect your orthodontic device.
Soft fruits are a safe bet. Bananas, melons, grapes, and berries will all be easy on your braces. To deal with harder fruits like apples or pears, just make sure to cut them into small pieces that you’re going to chew on instead of taking a bite of – this is a top tip.
Another good choice is cooked vegetables. By steaming or boiling carrots, broccoli, or potatoes, these vegetables will be soft and without any danger to your braces. Soft-cooked beans and steamed spinach, along with mashed potatoes, are all good and healthy options.
Soft foods are also often high in calcium and are good for your teeth. Soft cheeses, yogurt, and milk are all suitable when you have braces on. They do not require chewing and will be most comforting when you have just emerged from a visit to our team or when your teeth are sensitive.
For protein, soft sources are best. Egg, soft-cooked chicken, fish, and tofu are all good, brace-safe sources that provide you with all the nourishment that you need (without putting your hardware in jeopardy).
Your Smile is Worth the Work
Managing a diet through braces seems challenging at first, but once you begin your Palm Beach Orthodontics treatment, it soon becomes second nature. By avoiding hard, sticky, and chewy foods, and eating softer foods instead, you’re doing your investment a favor and helping to keep your treatment right on schedule. These short-term lifestyle changes are a tiny compromise to make in exchange for a lifetime of straight, healthy teeth.
Just in case you’re unsure of what you can and cannot have, remember that October is orthodontic national health month – so be sure to ask Dr Angela and her team. They’re your best asset when it comes to getting your smile journey back on track!