What Should You Eat and Avoid with Dental Braces?
A dental flaw like misaligned teeth can make you feel less confident about your smile and looks. It is due to this reason that people with misaligned teeth opt for dental braces at some point in their life.
An orthodontist near you may recommend dental braces to straighten or align your teeth or if you have other oral issues like an overbite or underbite. Braces are known to drastically improve the dental alignment of misaligned teeth.
Dental braces at AVA Dentistry come with many benefits, but you must make sacrifices if you want to keep the braces clean and in perfect condition. One such sacrifice that comes with braces is food restrictions. Read on to learn more about foods you should and shouldn’t eat with dental braces.
What You Should Normally Eat After Dental Braces
Before you get braces at our dental clinic in Brantford, you should know that you will have this permanent installation in your mouth for some time, and since they are fragile, you will have to watch what you eat. For you to get effective results within a short duration, our King George dentist will advise you to avoid foods that will damage your braces.
Here are some of the best foods to eat with braces:
- Soups
Soups are ideal for people with braces since they are full of warm broth and soft well-cooked vegetables.
- Yogurt
If you have braces and want a delicious fruit smoothie, consider buying some yogurt but make sure to avoid the berries with seeds.
- Cooked or soft vegetables
Health experts recommend incorporating vegetables into your daily diet because of their many health benefits. However, to protect your dental braces, ensure the veggies are soft before eating them or they may break or bend the brackets or wires of the braces.
- Scrambled eggs
Eating scrambled eggs is a great way to include proteins in your diet without damaging your braces. The fun part is that you can spice the scrambled eggs in various ways to make them interesting.
- Soft fruits
Soft fruits like grapes, kiwis, oranges, and melons are good for consumption with dental braces.
- Oatmeal
Including oatmeal in your breakfast routine is a nice way to start your day with dental braces. A bowl of oatmeal is not only delicious and comforting but also nutritious as well.
- Grains
Soft-cooked rice and other soft grains are more recommended for people with braces over other chewier options like dinner rolls or bread.
- Soft cheese
According to dental experts, eating high cheeses with braces should be avoided, but one can eat plenty of soft cheeses that include thinly sliced brie, cheddar, cottage cheese, or mozzarella.
What You Should Avoid After Dental Braces Treatment
Some foods can damage your dental braces prolonging your treatment duration, which means you will have to wear them for a longer time. Some of these foods are:
- Nuts
Eating nuts can cause the wires of your dental braces to bend, slowing down the straightening process so make sure you completely avoid them.
- Popcorn
Until your treatment period is complete, you will have to avoid eating popcorn since its husks may get wedged in between teeth while the kernels risk breaking the wires or brackets of your braces.
- Chewing gum
While you have your metal braces, it would be best to avoid chewing gum as it can warp the brace wires or become stuck in the brace metal in a way that causes damage to the braces.
- Chewy or hard candy
Whether you are wearing dental braces or not, most candy should be off-limits because too much sugar is bad for your oral health. Avoid hard, chewy, or sticky candy until your braces are removed to prevent damaging them.
- Bagels or hard rolls
The reason to avoid bagels and hard rolls are they can get caught in between the braces loosening the wires and brackets. If you really want to have a bagel, try tearing it into smaller pieces and chewing it up with the back teeth.
- Ice
It’s okay to have drinks with ice in them but do not try chewing on ice while wearing dental braces. This is one of the top causes of damaged dental braces.