When you have braces on, you must brush and floss regularly and eat the best foods to ensure your teeth and gums are healthy during the treatment. However, you will mostly hear of the foods you must avoid when you have braces on. It is very rare to hear of the foods you can eat with braces on.
What Foods Can You Eat with Braces On?
- Smooth nut spreads
- Lean, tender meat
- Stewed or slow-cooked food
- Soft cooked pasta and rice, soft crusted bread, soft cooked grains,
- Boiled, mashed or boiled vegetables. Cook your vegetables until they are soft to have the best impact. Do not overcook them to avoid removing nutrients.
- Fresh fruit – Cut up the fruits into small pieces.
- Pureed or soft fruits, stewed fruits, tinned peaches and mushy bananas.
Beware of these Foods
- Meat with the bone. For example, lamb chops
- Hard cheeses
- Less processed loaves of bread, hard-crusted bread, unground whole grains
- Tea and coffee – They can cause temporary discolouration of the teeth and braces
- Cakes or foods containing food colouring – They can cause discolouration to the elastic modules holding the wire to the braces.
- Packet noodles and heavily spiced curries
- Acidic foods and drinks – It is okay to consume citrus fruit. However, you must brush your teeth after consuming it. You can also drink water to dilute the citric acid’s effects.
Foods to Avoid with Braces On
- Sugary drinks – sports drinks and soft drinks
- Hard food – boiled lollies, large nuts, toffee and crunching on ice
- Sticky foods – chewing gum, mints and caramels
- Crunchy foods – popcorn or particular ice cubes
- Chewy foods – liquorice and hard roll-ups
If you have braces on, aim to eat a healthy and balanced diet. You need to eat nutritional food. Once you finish eating, you must brush your teeth and braces immediately. Brushing immediately can help prevent food from getting around the braces.
Do not chew on hard things since they damage your braces. Hard things, such as fingernails, pencils or pens, can loosen or break your braces. Damaging your braces can cause your treatment to take longer and lead to poor results. Therefore, it is essential to eat the best foods when you have braces on.
If you eat the wrong foods when you have braces on, you may also end up damaging your braces. Damaging your braces can cause abrasions, cuts and discomfort inside your mouth. If you do not treat it, your treatment can become less effective. So, you must see a dentist immediately! If you are looking for a local dentist in Rockingham, Western Australia, contact Rockingham Dental Centre.
