August 6th, 2013
When you’re wearing braces, the orthodontic appliances, brackets and wires can be damaged by some types of foods. That’s why your orthodontist gives you dietary guidelines. The foods you’ll want to keep away from your braces are primarily hard or sticky.
Just to be able to compare the do’s and don’ts, we’ll go over the “not to eat” foods first. Some of the things you’ll want to leave alone are:
Nuts
Popcorn
Chewing gum
Pizza crust
Croutons
Caramels
Jelly beans
Ice cubes
Tootsie rolls
It’s easy to see how these things and other hard or sticky foods and candy would cause damage.
There are other foods you should be cautious about eating, and if you do feel you just have to have some of these things, cut or break them up and chew with your back teeth.
The “be cautious” list contains:
Bagels
Chicken wings
Raw veggies
Hard fruit like apples
Fruit with pits
Granola bars and
Other items that might be hard, have bones, or might need to be cut up
Also avoid foods high in sugar and brush soon after you do
Now here’s the good part! Let’s see how many of your favorites you can eat when wearing braces:
Ice cream
Potato chips
Yogurt
Pudding
Cottage cheese
Eggs
Milkshakes
Steamed vegetables
Pasta
Potatoes
French fries
Soft pretzels
Sub sandwiches (cut up)
Cheese
Soup
Crackers
Cereal in milk
Soft fruit
String cheese
Peas
Cream corn
Other things like hamburgers and so on can be cut up into small pieces
Things that are soft to chew and won’t stick to or inside your braces, and things that are not high in sugar are on your “go ahead and enjoy” list. Try to focus on eating with your back teeth and not the front, eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly, and remember – the list of things you can eat is a whole lot longer and healthier than the list of things you can’t eat!
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