Many patients are concerned about what they can or cannot eat after braces. While some foods have the potential to damage braces, most of the time, we say, go ahead and enjoy your food as you normally would! Here are some tips that you may want to keep in mind though.
Foods that are hard to clean
These would include sticky and chewy candies, caramel, and gum. Not only are these food hard to clean, they tend to be high in sugar content as well . Surely this cannot be good for your teeth! After all, sugar is well known for causing tooth decay. If you have a sweet tooth, we advise that you eat these food in moderation and only if you’re prepared to take the time to clean your braces.
Use your back teeth not your front!
Foods like apples, corn, ribs, and our favourite chicken wings! We hear you–No, you do not have to stop eating these foods. But rather, instead of using your front teeth to bite, you may want to cut up these foods into small bite-sized pieces and use your back teeth to enjoy these foods.
The first week is the worst
Everyone has different pain thresholds but most commonly, our patients tell us that the first week is the toughest. Not to worry, it gets better– and really quickly at that too. Concerned parents may ask: What food to prepare for their children during these first few days? Well, for breakfast, how about smoothies, yoghurt or eggs? For lunch and dinner, you can consider fish, mashed potatoes, tofu and steamed vegetables. Sounds too bland for you? Perhaps, but it will be over before you even realize it.
Hard foods and habits to avoid
For starters, no more biting on ice cubes and using your teeth to crack crab shells! Nuts, beef jerky and popcorn are really hard foods, so cut down on those as well. Hard foods may damage and break off your braces thereby causing discomfort. Treatment wise, occasionally breaking off your braces is totally fine and very common. However, if we have to repair your braces at every one or two appointments, your treatment duration may be prolonged, and we may need to re-examine your eating habits.
Any further questions or doubts regarding your diet with braces? Visit us at Neo Smiles Dental Studio to get your answers and more! 🙂