Let’s face it. One of the many reasons why so many adults and teenagers are skeptical about their potential treatment with braces is the many limitations related to their dietary choices. Have you wondered what can you eat with braces? Let’s take a closer look at your orthodontist’s recommendations, what you should avoid, what you can eat with braces, and what happens when you don’t pay enough attention to our warnings.
As you may already know, Dr. Sloss is a board-certified orthodontist who continues to manage the great work done at our practice. Her passion continues to lead several patients along their road toward the smile of their dreams, and much of that guidance means helping patients understand some of the sacrifices they should make to maintain treatment efficiency.
If you’re looking for the best provider of orthodontics treatment Centennial neighbors have at their disposal, you need not look further. Our team will gladly help you reach your treatment goals. Let’s check out what are some of the dietary recommendations that can help you get the smile you deserve.
What to Eat With Braces?
Anything soft, easy to chew, and not too sugary or hard is a good option to eat with braces. Fortunately, there are still a lot of things you can eat without remorse or worry that you might damage your braces.
You’ll be glad to know that many of the things you already like are perfectly fine for your diet with braces; besides, it won’t take much to learn about the things that favor your treatment efficiency and maintain good oral health or dental hygiene.
Let’s take a closer look at what you can eat with braces.
What to Eat With Braces the First Week?
We want to focus quickly on some ideas for your first week with braces. The thing is, many patients report some degree of discomfort when they first get their braces. As the movement begins, your teeth might feel sore and loose, which is to be expected by all patients.
To help with the process, try switching to some options that are easier to chew. Our personal favorites include some of the following:
- Soups,
- Pasta Dishes,
- Rice Dishes,
- Mashed potatoes,
- Fish,
- Mac n’ Cheese,
- Steamed vegetables.
What Not to Eat With Braces
Many of the usual snacks and fast foods are a no-go for most patients wearing braces. You should avoid sticky foods, hard foods, or foods and drinks that are too sugary. We want to be as explicit as possible with some of these recommendations so you don’t accidentally grab a bite and damage your braces.
Hard Foods
This is probably the most common type of food that people like to eat even though we recommend them not to. Anything that breaks into smaller but hard pieces can damage your braces because the food debris acts like a lever and peels away brackets.
Please stay away from the following foods:
- Popcorn,
- Apples,
- Corn on the cob,
- Hard taco shells,
- Chips,
- Ice cubes.
Sticky Foods
The problem with sticky foods is that they are some of the most difficult ones to clean off after you’ve eaten. They like to cling to every bracket, wire, nook, and cranny. Honestly, they’re just the worst for patients with braces.
As they remain in your mouth, any bacteria lurking around your teeth will continue to feed on the leftover food pieces and produce acids that can lead to tooth decay.
Trust us, you don’t want that to happen.
- Licorice,
- Chewing gum,
- Toffee,
- Tootsie rolls,
- Caramels.
What Not to Eat With Braces the First Week?
Remember how we said you should expect some discomfort when you first get braces installed by your orthodontist? The reason why orthodontic treatment works are that your appliances gradually push your teeth and dissolve the jaw bone at the base of each tooth. Once the tooth relocates, the bone structure solidifies, and you have a well-aligned smile.
All this goes to show that you will feel some discomfort and feel your mouth sore during treatment, especially during the first week of treatment and whenever you get an adjustment.
Since you will be particularly sensitive then, you should avoid these foods and drinks:
- Hot soups,
- Really cold beverages,
- Ice cream,
- Slurpees,
- Frozen yogurt,
- Smoothies.
Avoid anything too hot or too cold, as the indeed tooth sensitivity will cause much discomfort. Likewise, avoid hard foods that can be tough to chew, as they will make your discomfort and pain even worse.
Get An Orthodontist in Centennial You Can Trust
The team and specialists at Sloss & Carpenter Orthodontics are on standby to help you achieve your smile goals and stay with you throughout your treatment to be as efficient as possible.
Make sure you set an appointment at our office serving everyone who wants to find the best orthodontic treatment in Centennial; we’ll make sure to get you familiarized with all the tools at your disposal and what you can do to get the smile of your dreams.