Eating with Braces

What you should and should not eat is an important topic when starting orthodontic treatment. Eating the wrong things can cause the different parts of your braces to break, slowing down treatment and causing parents more trips to the orthodontist office. What you eat while in braces also effects your oral health. Braces need extra care when cleaning and when food gets stuck in there, cavities can follow.

Sugar: To much sugar is never a good thing for your teeth or health. Limit sugary drinks and sticky sugary foods. Sugar can feed and create more plaque releasing acid, causing more destructive bacteria around orthodontic appliances. There are many more nooks and crannies for plaque to hide and build up, causing decay and weakened enamel in these areas.

Starch: Breads, crackers and anything flour can make a sticky paste in your mouth. Starch can really get into places and stick. After enjoying those pretzels and golf fish crackers, we highly suggest you brush and floss after.

Hard and crunchy: I love crunchy potato chips and admit that I would miss this the most while in braces. It is suggested to cut harder stuff into small pieces and to never bite down directly into crunchy or harder foods. Not only can you cut things up but you can substitute foods that you like for something less hard that you like. Thin lays potato chips are soft and instead of a hard candy, eat some milk chocolate.

Remember there are plenty of great foods you can eat, like cheese! Be mindful of what and how you eat it. Take extra good care of your teeth and braces with all the great cleaning tools that are available for people in orthodontic treatment.