What can’t you eat with braces?

Orthodontic Braces in London Waterloo

Many of our Central London based patients often ask us “What can and can’t you eat with braces?” The good news is you don’t have to give up as much as you think as there are still plenty of tasty foods you can eat while having orthodontic braces. And you are not limited to only soft food or pureed goods, you just need to be aware and make good choices. It is important to be aware of the foods you can and cannot eat so you can take care of your braces correctly, and get the best results from your orthodontic treatment.

Starting orthodontic treatment is an important decision to make. Our orthodontic team at Whites Dental in London Waterloo will be glad to provide you more information to help you make an informed decision on what braces are right for you.

Lots of people across the world use orthodontic braces to align or straighten their teeth or help with other dental problems such as gaps, underbite, or overbite. Braces can radically improve the overall look of your teeth, but it can take days or weeks to adjust to the extra pressure on your teeth. You may also feel some discomfort or irritation around your teeth and gums during the first few days.

However, if you talk with anyone who’s had braces, you will find out that the hardest adjustment might be giving up some of the foods you love. It’s not always enjoyable being told what you can and cannot eat but unfortunately with braces there are some rules to follow. Eating foods which are too hard or chewy can in fact damage or even break your braces and may cause a delay in your treatment. An individual who is compliant with eating instructions will sail through treatment quicker than someone who isn’t!

What can you eat with braces? Let’s talk about what you shouldn’t eat first. For the first few days or so after getting braces, you should ideally try stick to soft foods. Avoid any tough meats, hard breads, raw vegetables, hard candy and anything chewy. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to bite into a cucumber again before you know it. But one thing to remember is that you’ll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you’re wearing braces. The first thing you must learn to do is to cut up your food into smaller pieces and use your back teeth for chewing.

Foods to avoid with braces

• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, liquorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, hard pretzels
• Sugary food: candy
• Foods that involve biting into such as apples and carrots

Chewing or biting on hard things such as pens, pencils or fingernails can damage the braces. When a bracket (brace) becomes loose and is no longer attached to your tooth, that tooth is no longer moving. In fact, it could begin shifting back to where it started. Obviously, loose and broken braces will delay treatment, and could lead to poorer results.

Although braces have become sturdier with modern-day technology, it’s still important to be careful not to damage them. Certain foods can damage the component of braces such as the rubber bands, wires, or even the bracket itself. As a rule of thumb, avoid all foods that are sticky, hard, or chewy. Soft foods are mostly recommended for the brace wearers because they are gentler on braces hardware.

Recommended Foods When Wearing Braces

• Hull-less popcorn
• Yogurt
• Fruits such as bananas, grapes, oranges, strawberries
• Light crackers or cookies
• Cheese
• Mashed potatoes
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Noodle dishes such as spaghetti, ravioli and macaroni and cheese

What to keep avoiding while you have braces

Be wary that braces are sensitive to damage, so you’ll need to avoid certain foods for as long as you have braces.

Some of these foods include hard and sticky foods that are known to damage the wires or bands, or cause a bracket to separate from a tooth.

Foods to entirely avoid with braces include: popcorn, nuts, ice, chewing gum, hard and chewy candy, pizza crust, bagels and other hard rolls, crunchy vegetables and fruits, hard crackers, pretzels, chips.