While there are many foods that you must avoid during your orthodontic treatment, there are many more that you can enjoy while still caring for your oral health. Soft foods are great for any braces wearer, regardless if they use ceramic or metal braces in San Ramon because they won’t damage or stick to your appliances, keeping orthodontic emergencies and bacteria accumulation to a minimum. Additionally, you can still eat most soft foods after your adjustment appointments, making them a great choice throughout your treatment with braces.
What to Eat After Getting Braces
- Pasta,
- Scrambled eggs,
- Peanut butter,
- Mashed potatoes,
- Soups,
- Soft fruits,
- Meats with no bones,
- Yogurt,
- Soft veggies,
- Jelly,
- Dairy products,
- Oatmeal,
- Pizza (without the crust) or soft bread,
- Seafood,
- Pudding,
- Muffins,
- Applesauce
What to Eat First Week With Braces
If you wish to have the most beautiful smile you can get at the end of your orthodontic treatment, you will have to do a little more than brushing and flossing daily. Following the diet that your orthodontist recommends is crucial in maintaining your treatment time with as few problems as possible. Sticking to your newly acquired diet will help prevent stuck food debris, bacteria accumulation, tooth decay, gum disease, damage to the appliance, white spots on your teeth, and more.
Here are a few tips on what you can and can’t eat during your orthodontic treatment.
What Food Should You Avoid Eating Right After Getting Braces?
After getting braces, your mouth will be more sensitive than usual, and you will start feeling some soreness or discomfort after just a few hours of the application. To avoid any more uncomfortable sensations, it is best not to eat some additional foods for the first few days of rest. Refrain from eating spicy or citric foods, thick rolls, thick pieces of bread, and even ice cream.
Remember that after a couple of days, you will be able to eat the mentioned food as usual. Additionally, if after an adjustment appointment, you feel sensitive again, consider taking them out of your diet for a few days.
What Food Should You Avoid During the Entire Orthodontic Treatment?
As a general guideline, you should avoid any type of food that can either damage your braces or get stuck in them. The foods to avoid are hard, crunchy, sticky, and sugary foods. They can either damage your appliance or make the cleaning process much more difficult for the orthodontic patient. This added difficulty can result in bacteria accumulation, leading to dental issues like gum disease, tooth decay, and cavities.
Foods to Avoid With Braces
Hard foods like rough cuts of meat, hard fruits, and raw vegetables can all dislodge your brackets and either bend or break your archwires. If, during your orthodontic treatment, you have these accidents consistently, it will prolong your expected treatment time. Here are a few examples of hard foods for you to avoid.
- Ice,
- Nuts,
- Pizza crust,
- Hard candies,
- Popcorn,
- Pretzels.
What Can You Eat With Braces?
What to eat with braces on the first day. Sticky foods, aside from also causing loose brackets and broken wires, can get stuck everywhere in your braces, making cleaning difficult and tedious. If you want to maintain proper oral hygiene, you must avoid this type of food at all costs. Some examples of sticky foods are:
- Gummy bears,
- Toffees,
- Sticky chocolate or caramel,
- Licorice,
- Candy bars,
- Mochi.
Even if sugary foods don’t damage your braces as much as hard and crunchy food does, you should avoid them as much as possible. When sugar mixes with the bacteria in your mouth and sticks to your tooth for hours at a time, it forms acids that erode your tooth’s enamel, leading to tooth decay and, if not taken care of, more severe infections and diseases.
Cooking Recommendations for Patients Wearing Brackets
Following a healthy diet is the best thing you can do to maintain good oral health during your orthodontic treatment, aside from brushing and flossing daily. Naturally, people don’t enjoy eating the same thing every day, so here we present a few recipes for you to try. This way, you can follow your diet while enjoying new delicious meals.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding
If you or your children are looking for a delicious treat, chocolate pudding is a must. With only 30 minutes of cooking time and nine ingredients, you can have a chocolaty dessert that won’t hurt your or your family’s treatment. Just remember not to make it too often and brush your teeth afterward.
Peach Smoothie
A peach smoothie may be the best option for those who prefer a nutritious and refreshing snack. You won’t have any problems brushing and flossing afterward, and it is a great way of consuming various fruits without running the risk of damaging your braces.