Braces can be restricted to their wearer’s diet as multiple different types of foods can cause damage to braces, these should be avoided to help ensure the oral health of the user. If your braces have been negatively affected by your diet you should make an appointment with your local dentist in Solihull to ensure that your teeth are assessed by a professional.
Popcorn
Popcorn should be avoided when you are wearing braces as small pieces of popcorn can become lodged in your gums underneath the bracket of your braces. This can mean food is held close to your teeth for an extended period which increases the risk of tooth decay as the sugars from the food cause plaque to build up, subsequently leading to tooth erosion. You should avoid all kinds of popcorn when you have braces, it simply is not worth the risk.
Nuts
Nuts often require biting power to be eaten, if you were to bite into a nut whilst wearing braces you run a very real risk of the brace wire bending and even breaking off your braces. This can cause significant pain and can set back your orthodontic treatments in the future.
Hard Candy
Similar to nuts, hard candy often needs to be bit into, which can lead to the brace wire bending or breaking which can lead to an unplanned visit to your orthodontist. Examples of hard sweets you should avoid include candy canes, lollipops and rock.
Chewing Gum
Unsurprisingly chewing gum is part of our list, chewing gum can stick to your braces and can be challenging to remove for your orthodontist. Additionally, gum can also bend or break your brace wires. If you are still looking for the minty freshness that chewing gum provides mints also provide this and most mints dissolve within your mouth, meaning that there will be no sticky residue left on your teeth and braces.
Pizza Crust
Pizza crust is often quite crunchy and sometimes hard, depending on how well you have cooked your pizza. You should avoid eating the crust as it could prove too challenging for your braces and may cause them to bend or even snap whilst you are chewing.
Bagels And Other Hard Rolls
Bagels and hard rolls can be challenging for your braces and may cause them to snap, you should opt for softer bread instead to significantly reduce the chances of your braces being negatively affected when you eat bread. Once you find a brand that offers soft bread that you like you should stick with it, as this reduces the risk of biting into bread that you thought was softer than what it is.
Crunchy Fruit And Vegetables
You should avoid crunchy fruits and vegetables such as apples, cucumber, and broccoli as these may cause the wires in your braces to bend or break. To avoid this you should ensure that you cook vegetables that are naturally hard when raw but soften when cooked, this allows you to eat them with less risk of damaging your braces. You should also cut your food up into smaller pieces and never bite into an apple without cutting it up first while wearing braces.
Hard Crackers
Instead of eating hard crackers, you should opt for soft bread as you can still add your choice of topping but don’t carry the same risks for your braces as hard crackers.
What Foods Should I Eat With Braces?
Soups
Soups are great for those with braces as eating a bowl of soup does not require chewing other than a few small pieces of whatever meat or vegetable the soup is made out of; this is typically very easy for people to swallow without even having to chew. Soups can be very filling and can satisfy your hunger for an extended period of time, you can pair your bowl of soup with a side helping of soft bread for extra nutrients.
Pasta
Pasta is a common staple food in most people’s diets, once cooked pasta can easily be eaten by those wearing braces. Just ensure that the ingredients you are adding can easily be eaten whilst you have your braces in, meaning you should avoid harder food such as chorizo being added to your pasta as it could be difficult for you to chew.
Soft Or Cooked Vegetables
Eating vegetables that are naturally soft or become soft once cooked is a much better option for your braces than eating hard, crunchy vegetables. Just make sure that all of the vegetables you are cooking are thoroughly cooked, which reduces the chance of an outlier piece of vegetable that is harder than the rest.
Soft Fruit
Soft fruits such as oranges, bananas, strawberries and raspberries can be easily eaten by those with braces, as you don’t need to bite hard into them to be able to eat them.
Yoghurt
Yoghurt is another excellent option for those with braces and yoghurt does not require any chewing, meaning that there is virtually no risk of your braces being negatively affected by you eating yoghurt – as long as you clean your teeth and braces regularly to avoid build-up of plaque caused by the sugars in yoghurt.