Tips For Braces Success
You’ve probably heard from your parents, friends, and even your orthodontist, the long list of foods and beverages that you should avoid while wearing braces. While it may seem like you’re giving up a lot, it is important to avoid eating certain foods. We also want you to enjoy your braces experience, so here’s a quick list of tips as well as foods to avoid and foods to embrace while wearing braces.
1.
In a nutshell, avoid all foods that are:
- sticky
- chewy
- crunchy
- hard
**Every time you break a bracket, you add time to your treatment! See a list of some braces-friendly foods and foods to avoid below.
2.
Every day you do not wear your elastics as instructed by Dr. Michelle is a month longer in braces. Full-time elastic wear means 22 hours a day and they work faster if you eat with them in!
3.
Keeping your teeth and gums clean makes treatment go faster and leads to less bracket breakage! Also, if you do not remove the plaque from around your gums and braces, it could cause tooth scarring.
4.
Be sure to continue to see your dentist for cleanings every 6 months during your orthodontic care!
Foods You Can Enjoy With Braces
- Dairy — Soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
- Breads — Soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins without nuts
- Grains — Pasta, soft cooked rice
- Meats/poultry — Soft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
- Seafood — Tuna, salmon, crab cakes
- Vegetables — Mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
- Fruits — Applesauce, bananas, sliced fruit, most berries (but watch out for seeds)
- Treats — Ice cream without nuts, milkshakes, Jell-O, cake
Foods To Avoid With Braces
- Ice — At least not if you chew on it
- Potato Chips — Be really careful with these
- Caramel — Sticky goo which pulls off brackets
- Some Breads — Bend wires and break brackets
- Beef Jerky — Tough as nails
- Hard Candy/Suckers — You might forget and bite
- Nuts — No nuts of any kind
- Ribs — Knock off brackets
- Popcorn — Hulls get caught between gums and bands
- Raw carrots — Try to avoid raw carrots
- Apples — You can eat them, just cut them up first. Sorry, no caramel apples!
- Corn on the cob — Can stay in your teeth for weeks
