Braces are a big commitment. You have to wear them for months at a time, and during that time, you will need to avoid certain foods, so they don’t get stuck in the brackets or wires. It can be hard to figure out what you can and cannot eat with braces, but this article is designed to answer all of your questions about eating with braces.
What can’t I eat with braces?
There are several foods under different classes that you aren’t supposed to eat with braces. These include:
-chewy foods like licorice and bagels
– sticky foods like taffy, caramels, and gum
– hard foods like nuts, crackers, or chips
– crunchy food such as popcorn or pretzels
– others that you need to bite into, like carrots or apples.
– sugarcanes
Food that should be must be avoided with braces
These are the foods that get stuck between braces and wires. If you don’t remove them in time, they can cause serious damage to your teeth and gums.
-nuts, popcorn, or chips with a hard shell
-gum and any other candy that’s chewy like taffy, caramels, or licorice
-corn on the cob
-apples and carrots (unless they’ve been cut into smaller pieces)
-sticks of any type (like popsicle sticks, toothpicks, or lollipop sticks)
-hard candy-like mints, Life Savers or Sweet Tarts
-gumballs and jawbreakers (tough candies)
Why eating the wrong foods with braces is bad?
If you eat these types of food while wearing your orthodontics, they can get stuck in the wires and brackets. This is bad for a couple of reasons:
-if you can’t remove the food from your braces in time, it could lead to a cavity
-if you don’t remove it from your braces, there’s a chance that the food will get stuck between brackets and wires. This could lead to your bracket breaking, your wires getting damaged, or even moving out of position.
-If you eat the wrong foods with braces, it can also lead to tooth pain.
Why can’t you eat certain foods during braces?
The reason people aren’t supposed to eat these specific types of food with their appliances is that they can get stuck in the brackets and wires.
Also, eating these foods can cause your brace-wearing teeth to overwork themselves. Overworking the tooth leads to pain and even damage.
Can I eat normal foods with braces the first week?
Yes. However, you need to stick o softer foods like pasta, yogurt, soup, etc. After wearing your braces for about 4-5 days, you can eat everyday foods again.
What foods are good to eat during braces treatment?
-Pasta
-yogurt
-soup
-soft fruits like peaches, bananas, oranges, etc.
-scrambled eggs
-ice cream (with soft-serve consistency)
-pudding and yogurt cups with soft tops
-soft seedless bread-like hamburger buns, hot dog rolls, pitas, and tortillas
-ice pops (no hard candy on the stick)
-toast with soft cream cheese or jelly
-yogurt smoothies
-English muffins with soft spreads like cream cheese or peanut butter.
Can you eat chips and popcorn with braces?
No, chips and other hard-shelled snacks will get stuck in the brackets and wires (as we talked about earlier). Also, popcorn can break into big pieces that will also get stuck. This, too, could lead to a cavity or damage to the wires and brackets.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, if you want to maintain your braces and not damage them or the teeth that they’re attached to, you shouldn’t eat certain foods. Stick to very soft foods during the beginning of your treatment. You can then slowly reintroduce the regular foods once the braces are in their final position and ready to be worn full time.
