Handy Tips For Eating Whilst Wearing Braces
Avoid sticky and hard foods where possible.
Getting braces is definitely a big deal for most people. Whether you’re excited, wary, worried, or completely happy to have your new braces, they are most certainly a big change and do take some getting used to.
Here at Abbey Road Dental we make sure all of our patients who are having braces fitted feel informed, reassured and positive about this treatment.
However, there’s no getting around the fact that adaptations do need to be made whilst the braces are on. One of the biggest adaptations is diet. Overall, those with braces need to avoid sticky foods, crunchy or overly hard foods and chewy foods. Avoiding foods you usually eat, or like, might seem really annoying and feel as though you’re missing out.
We completely understand patients may feel like this, however, there’s a really good reason we advise avoiding certain foods. The wires and brackets that make up your braces are made of strong materials, but they are still vulnerable to being broken if they aren’t looked after. Breakages of the braces are inconvenient for you, will require fixing, and they can be painful. Additonally, certain food types can “hang up” in your braces making it difficult to keep your teeth clean.
Here at your local NW8 dental surgery we are always available for additional adjustments and amendments if you do break your braces, but we will always do our best to help you avoid these in the first place. Part of this prevention is giving you as much information as possible about how to care for your braces so you’ll receive lots of information before and during your brace fixing, and during adjustment appointments.
As a general guide:
What To Avoid
We recommend you only eat very soft food in the first few days after your braces have been fitted. They might be slightly uncomfortable, so we recommend you stick to very soft foods for those first few days while you adjust to your treatment. Following this, we recommend you avoid:
● Any caramel as it is, or when it is in a chocolate bar. Caramel that is sticky and gooey in any form should be avoided.
● Peanut butter that is very hard or sticky.
● Hard boiled sweets.
● Any nuts.
● Popcorn.
● Chewy sweets like toffee.
● Any extremely hard foods.
● Whole fruits like apples.
● Chewing Gum.
What To Be Careful With
Chewy bread, chips, corn on the cob, hard vegetables and fruits. You don’t necessarily have to avoid these foods altogether, but you should exercise caution when eating them. Usually anything too hard or difficult to eat should be cut or torn into bite size pieces.
Other Habits To Avoid
It is certainly not a good idea to chew pens or pencils or chew ice when you have fixed braces!
Interested In Braces? Please Call Abbey Road Dental For More Information
If you are interested in registering your child with us for orthodontic treatment, or you’re interested in fixed braces yourself, or perhaps one of our cosmetic adult brace treatments, please call our NW8 surgery on 02076241603 and we will be pleased to help.