Life With Braces
One of the biggest lifestyle changes you’ll need to make while wearing braces is diet. Certain foods run the risk of breaking off brackets, getting stuck in your archwires, or otherwise damaging your braces, so you’ll need to take care to avoid these foods during treatment.
Great Tips To Follow
Suggestions For What To Eat
Foods You Can Enjoy With Braces
Grains: Pasta or soft-cooked rice
Dairy: Soft cheeses, pudding, and milk
Bread: Any soft bread like tortillas, pancakes, or nut-free muffins
Vegetables: Soft or cooked veggies like mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, or beans
Fruits: Bananas, seedless berries, applesauce, fruit without pits, and sliced fruit
Seafood: Any soft fish like tuna, salmon, or crab cakes
Meat: Soft meats like lunch meat, meatballs, or soft-cooked chicken
Desserts: Cake, milkshakes, ice cream, or Jell-O
Foods To Avoid With Braces
Hard or Crunchy Foods: Popcorn, hard candy, nuts, or chips
Sticky or Chewy Foods: Licorice, gum, caramel, or even bagels
Foods That Are Difficult to Bite Into: Corn on the cob or whole apples or carrots
Sugary Foods & Beverages: Any sodas or foods with lots of sugar
We recommend you use a soft bristled tooth brush with a small head. Electric and sonic tooth brushes are also acceptable.
Brush your teeth after meals and snacks.
If you have eaten while away from home, use your interdental brush to dislodge any food that may get caught around your braces.
Rinsing with water is another way to dislodge food from your braces, and to keep sugar from sitting on your teeth.
Floss your teeth at least once a day.
We recommend that you have a check up with your dentist every 6 months.