Preventing damage to the archwires, bands, and brackets as well as keeping your teeth free from tooth decay during your treatment should be your number one concern. Use this list to take the guesswork out—and keep your food choices enjoyable and tasty.
Hard fruit, like an apple, for example, can be very difficult to bite into because of the brackets that are on the teeth. Unripe pears and peaches pose the same problem. To consume hard fruits, cut them into bite-sized pieces so that they can be chewed with the back teeth.
Soft fruits are easily bitten into for braces wearers, but when teeth are tender, especially after a wire change, even soft fruit can be painful to eat. Choose fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for days when your teeth are tender.
Hard, raw vegetables, such as carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli, are tough to bite into with braces and may even pop a bracket off the tooth. When preparing raw vegetables, cut them into bite-sized pieces that can be easily chewed with the back teeth.
Most vegetables may be enjoyed cooked, which is a braces wearer’s dream because cooking automatically softens the food. If you are having a problem eating your favorite vegetable raw, try steaming it until it’s tender, or boil or roast it until it’s soft.
Grains are generally an easy food group for braces wearers because most grain products are very soft and easily chewed. However, there are a few grain products braces wearers should be cautious of.
Eating hard-crusted bread, such as a bagel, is difficult for someone with braces because it is very hard to bite into. Soften bread by warming it, or break it into bite-sized pieces before eating.
Unground whole grains are also a challenge because they can become stuck in between the braces, attachments, and even the teeth, which makes them very hard to remove. Avoid small seeds and grains.
Select from a variety of dairy products, such as low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, and low-fat yogurt. If you are lactose intolerant, soy-based dairy products are a great dairy alternative that is also generally soft and easily consumed with braces.
When eating soft cheese, you may find that it becomes stuck between the braces and wires. Try to prepare bite-sized pieces of cheese, or purchase a string cheese product that is easily peeled apart.
Tough cuts can also be so difficult to chew that they end up loosening the bands that surround the molars. Eating meat right from the bone, such as chicken wings and ribs, is dangerous for your braces because you risk popping off a bracket.
Select lean, tender cuts of meat and cut them into bite-sized pieces before you eat. Also, remove meat from the bone before eating. Some good protein choices include fish, chicken, and lean beef or pork. Tofu is also a good vegetarian option, since it’s soft.
Nuts and seeds are very hard, and they are very small—two challenging aspects for someone who wears braces. Biting down on a hard nut or seed can easily break a band or bracket off from the tooth.
Nuts and seeds are also responsible for bending the archwires, even though they may not break anything off. A bent wire can move the teeth into an undesired position, setting you back in valuable treatment time.
Select nut spreads, such as peanut butter or almond butter, or coarsely grind your favorite nuts and seeds and use them as a topping for yogurt or other foods.
Candy can be broken into two groups: hard and sticky. Morsels of toffee will adhere to the brackets and bands, which can easily break them off. Hard chocolate-covered nuts will do damage similar to its stick counterpart. Gummy candy will bend archwires and get stuck under your braces’ attachments.
Snacks such as chips, cookies, and ice cream, as well as carbonated soft drinks, can also contain significant amounts of sugar and should be very limited as well. If you do consume sugar, brush your teeth afterward.
Gum and bubblegum should also be avoided and deserve special mention. Gum that starts out hard and softens after repeated chews can break brackets and bend wires. As the gum softens, it becomes sticky and will stick to brackets and wires, making them very difficult to clean.
Try to select a variety of foods from all of the food groups listed above. Ensuring that your diet remains healthy during your orthodontic treatment is just as important as your overall treatment’s outcome.
If you are having a hard time connecting with your inner chef and you find your braces-friendly foods are bland and just plain boring, try searching for a braces-friendly cookbook or recipes that will help bring the excitement back to your taste buds.
