As you’re reading this article, we believe that you have already got your braces and are trying to adjust to the pressure on your teeth. Or maybe you are planning to get them on yet are wondering what one can and cannot eat with braces.
As exciting as getting braces is, one of the big downsides is having to give up on certain food items.
Your braces will only be effective if you care for them. And there are certain food items that are off-limits throughout the entire duration of your treatment.
We’ve prepared this blog post to help you understand and gain insights into the food items you can eat and the ones you should avoid while having your braces.
But first – let’s learn why it is really important to avoid consuming the wrong food during your treatment.
Why is it Extremely Important to Avoid Eating
Certain Food Items with your Braces On?
You’d want your braces to be effective, wouldn’t you? And certain food items may cause extreme discomfort – they may even put you at risk of breaking your wires or brackets. And if that happens, you may be required to head over to your orthodontist. It may even increase your treatment duration.
On top of this, if you eat high-sugar-content food items or items that easily get stuck in your braces, it may result in the collection of bacteria and plaque, which can damage the enamel or tooth and cause cavities. Also, it’s equally important to avoid consuming hard food items.
That being said, let’s learn more about the food items you can and can’t eat with your braces.
The Food Items You Should Avoid Right After Getting Braces – What You Cannot Eat Initially
The Food Items You Can Eat with Braces – What You Can Eat
Well – you can eat almost anything if you stick with bite-size pieces and shred the hard food items.
Here are some instructions to help you out:
- Cut up meat into little pieces
- Cut meat off the bone, especially ribs and fried chicken.
- Slice oranges, pears, and apples. Never bite into a whole apple or pear.
- Cut corn off the cob
- Cut salad items into small pieces
- Grate or scroll-cut carrots
- Pizza and crusty bread should be torn or cut in small, bite-size pieces.
As you go, you can start consuming certain food items, but the ones that are strictly prohibited – let’s look at these items now.
The Food Items You Should Strictly Avoid Throughout the Treatment: What You Cannot Eat Throughout the Treatment
While your orthodontist will already share a list of the food items you can and cannot eat, it’s important to be familiar with the items you need to strictly avoid after getting braces:
- Thicker Cuts of Meats
- Thick Tough Bread That’s Hard to Chew. For example, Bagels
- Chewy foods like Gummy Bears & Taffy
- Crunchy items like Hard Pretzels
- Hard food like Raw carrots or Whole Apples
- Sugary items
- Sticky food
In a nutshell, “if it’s hard, sticky or chewy, don’t eat it.”
Can I Eat?
Let’s look at some of the most common questions our patients usually ask us.
Can I Eat Chocolate?
While you can eat chocolate, you should consume it only in moderation. Chocolate has a high sugar content – so you need to be careful while eating it. Instead of consuming milk chocolate, we’d advise you to go for dark chocolate.
Also, while you may consume chocolate in moderation, it’s super-important to avoid frozen chocolate and hard candy – which may break a bracket off your tooth.
Can I Eat Pizza?
Pizza is love. But pizza crust is extremely hard. So it’s important to break off the crust into smaller pieces. You can have pizza, but just be careful with the crust.
Can I Eat Apples?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away – we’ve all heard or read it. But you need to be extremely careful while consuming apples with your braces on. Avoid whole apples. Rather than eating them directly, consider slicing them to avoid any bracket or wire damage.
Can I Eat Fries with Braces?
Yes – you may eat fries – but you need to make sure that you’re brushing your teeth properly and after every meal. Remove any leftovers with a proxy tip or floss tip. Also, don’t forcefully remove any leftovers if you are having a hard time doing so – trying repeatedly will only cause damage to your braces.
Can I Eat Candy?
Most people enjoy eating candy from time to time. But trust me on this – you need to be careful while consuming candy. If you love eating candy, that’s fine. You can consume candy in moderation – but don’t eat it all the time.
Otherwise, it may result in the build-up of plaque – which can cause cavities. And we’d advise you to immediately brush after consuming candy.
Safe Eating with Braces: Final Words
Throughout the duration of your treatment, you should not consume hard food items and limit high-sugar ones. And while we have shared the lists with you in this blog post, we couldn’t possibly fit every single food item here – it’s literally impossible.
But our orthodontic specialists can shed more light on this – to help you take care of your braces and teeth throughout the entire duration of your treatment.
Our team is highly experienced and talented with a commitment to helping you and your family members build a stress-free, comfortable, and rewarding life – one where you can feel confident about your smile and dental health.
And if you have been struggling with your teeth movement, reach out to our experts today.
Contact us for a virtual consultation or in-office consultation today!