A Helpful Guide on How to Eat with Braces
Maintaining a healthy diet is just as critical to the success of your orthodontic treatment as the actual treatment itself. This includes some everyday life modifications to achieve that gorgeous smile.
This guide is meant to assist you in how to eat with braces.
How braces work
Braces are dental appliances that assist in correcting dental disorders such as crowding, crooked teeth, and out-of-alignment teeth. Many people have braces as teenagers, but adults often receive them. As you wear your braces, your teeth gradually become straighter and aligned, reinstating a normal bite. Braces are sometimes used to improve a person’s smile.
The most difficult part of wearing braces is getting through the first week. Your body is adjusting to the unfamiliar, new metal parts in your mouth, and you may experience some discomfort at first. You’re well on your way to achieving gorgeously straight teeth after the first week.
Read More: Understanding How Long Your Braces Will Take
How to eat with braces
1. You will need to restrict or perhaps avoid some food during treatment. Avoid complications when wearing braces by avoiding sugar and drinks! If you have consumed sugary foods or beverages, you should immediately rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth.
Sugar promotes rapid plaque growth, which can result in inflamed gums, decalcification, and tooth decay. Decalcification is the process by which plaque affects or erodes the enamel on your teeth. When your braces are removed, your teeth may become stained, which is a permanent condition.
Hard candies are both too hard and too sticky to be considered an authorized braces snack. Crushing a hard candy with your teeth requires a biting force that is incompatible with braces, wires, and orthodontic gear. If you bite down on hard candy that has been positioned on top of a bracket, you are certain to have a broken bracket. This also includes:
- tootsie rolls
- gummy bears
- jellybeans
- sour candies
- taffy
- chocolate chip cookies
Loads of sugar can also be found in carbonated drinks and energy drinks. It is also recommended that you avoid hard and sticky foods such as
- nuts
- corn on the cob
- apples
- carrots
- crunchy chips
- kernel popcorn
- caramel candies
- chewing gum
When your braces are fresh or have been recently adjusted, you can eat soft or liquid meals such as soup, mashed potatoes, meal replacement shakes, and yogurt. Cold foods such as ice cream (free of nuts or crunchy parts) and semi-frozen cucumber will help alleviate swelling and pain, as long as you avoid biting down on anything hard.
As you gain confidence in your braces, you can gradually increase your intake of soft foods such as tortillas, lunch meats, soft steamed vegetables, and shellfish.
2. Consume softer foods and lesser portions. Everything should be cut into smaller bits to avoid larger portions requiring greater bite effort.
3. Develop the ability to bite food with the side of your mouth. Concentrate your efforts on biting with your canines and bicuspid.
4. You may notice that your teeth no longer fit together as well as they once did. This sensation can make chewing uncomfortable, and if your brackets irritate both your cheeks and lips, the best course of action is to eat slowly and carefully.
5. Until brackets are supposed to be mild on the mouth, they can irritate the soft tissue in your mouth while you adjust to them. Over time, your skin will become tougher, and you will no longer have uncomfortable areas. Until then, it’s a good idea to relieve any discomfort with the wax we supply.
Needing an orthodontic appointment? Visit Kumra Orthodontics Washington DC or Kumra Orthodontics Stafford, VA, and request an appointment with us!
6. If you are suffering substantial irritation, we recommend rinsing your mouth five or six times a day for 30 seconds, each time with a solution of warm saltwater. To one cup of warm water, add half a teaspoon of table salt. The saltwater will assist in relieving pain and promoting faster healing of wounds.
7. Maintain proper dental hygiene at all times. After each meal, brush your teeth with the toothbrush provided, and be sure to remove any food that may become lodged in your brackets. Remember to maintain your normal dental hygiene routine of brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing regularly. It is important to maintain healthy teeth. Establishing these practices early on in your braces journey will assist ensure that you do not run into any issues down the way.
Read More: The Proper Way to Floss with Braces
Contact Kumra Orthodontics to learn more about how to eat with braces
Preventing damage to the archwires, bands, and brackets and keeping your teeth free of decay should be your primary priority during orthodontic treatment.
The information in this guide is intended to make your time in orthodontics as pleasant and successful as possible. Feel free to contact us with questions or concerns concerning your braces—whether you are currently wearing them or have finished treatment. You may rely on us, your local orthodontist, for assistance.
