As Rosenberg orthodontists, we often hear patients and parents ask what foods should not be eaten with braces. While braces are necessary for people to straighten their teeth, they come with many considerations.
Proper care throughout orthodontic treatments is essential. However, it becomes tricky when kids (or adults) sticky or crunchy foods. Let’s face it; that covers the vast majority of people. Still, while there are some limitations, there are plenty of great replacements to enjoy during treatments.
Let’s take a look at some of the foods to avoid to protect teeth and hardware during orthodontic treatment.
How Do Braces Change the Way You Eat?
In the early stages of braces, eating tends to be a bit uncomfortable. The mouth takes time to heal, and your child needs to adjust to the braces. Over time, this fades. However, it’s important to practice caution.
As we cover what foods should not be eaten with braces, it’s important to remember what happens when you eat the wrong foods.
- Food stuck in the braces or wires
- Worn bands
- Chipped brackets
- Bent wires
- Stains on the teeth
- Plaque and tooth decay from stuck food
Additionally, damaged braces are less effective. Oftentimes, this means another trip to our orthodontists for repair.
Coping with the First Few Weeks
In the first few days or weeks after getting braces, it’s common to feel pain or irritation. This is when the teeth are the most sensitive. With that in mind, plan for a soft food diet to keep it safe and comfortable.
Here are a few choices popular with kids.
- Smoothies. All you have to do is avoid any hard seeds. Stick with fruits, vegetables, and protein powders.
- Yogurt and pudding. It’s important to appease the sweet tooth from time to time, and smooth treats are great for a snack or dessert.
- Oatmeal. Flavor the oatmeal with a touch of maple syrup, honey, or fruit. Just remember to avoid crunchy additions for now.
- Scrambled eggs. Without hard cheeses or crunchy additions, scrambled eggs are an easy breakfast that protects the hardware and your kid’s mouth.
- Soup. Pureed soups are great and nutritious ways to avoid large bites.
When it comes to what foods should not be eaten with braces at this stage, it’s important to avoid extreme temperatures. While ice cream is soft, the cold temperature irritates the sensitive teeth. Moreover, the same is true for hot, acidic, spicy, and sour foods.
What Foods Should Not Be Eaten With Braces?
With this guide, you have a great start to keep your child’s orthodontic treatment safe and easy.
Sticky Foods
As the description states, stick foods adhere to the braces. This makes them challenging to remove. Additionally, some foods trap particles in the brackets, which leads to tooth decay. Here are a few examples of sticky foods to avoid.
- Toffee and hard candy
- Suckers and lollipops
- Taffy or fruit chews
- Gum
- Caramels (or caramel fillings)
- Licorice
- Gummies
Hard Produce and Chewy Produce
Fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet. However, not all produce is a good fit when your child has braces. Hard produce is a big part of what foods should not be eaten with braces, especially carrots and cauliflower.
Additionally, practice caution when fruits aren’t fully ripe. A hard apply can damage brackets. Corn on the cob is another damaging piece of produce.
Dense, Chewy Bread
Many soft breads are perfectly fine with braces, although they also have the potential to get caught in wires or brackets. This is especially true of breads that are chewy. Moreover, thick dense breads are often tough to chew, which puts stress on the braces.
- Bagels
- Crunchy pizza crust
- Hard rolls
- Baguettes
- Dense sandwich breads
Still, this doesn’t mean that your kid has to skip out on pizza day at school. When you work with your child, there’s an opportunity to teach them how to tell what breads to avoid. This helps them practice these limits at school or with friends.
Crunchy Foods
As you consider what foods should not be eaten with braces, crunchy foods seem a bit obvious. When there’s a hard crunch, it puts stress on the hardware. However, they also have the potential to break into smaller pieces and lodge in brackets or wires.
Granola bars (soft granola okay but varies)
- Chips
- Nuts
- Hard taco shells
- Seeds
- Popcorn
- Hard pretzels
As with granola, some snacks like crackers are cookies are okay. However, this is a case-by-case basis. For instance, soft cookies or cookies dunked in milk are safe. Unfortunately, crunchy cookies with add-ins are not.
Meats and Jerky to Avoid
From chicken wings with bones to beef jerky, there are meats that also cause damage to braces. When you eat stringy meats, they also get stuck in the teeth and brackets. If your child has a broad palette, test out some softer, plant-based alternatives.
Tofu and veggie burgers help soften meals. However, it’s also okay to opt for softer meat dishes with ground meats. For instance, chili and meatloaf often keep braces safe when there aren’t tough chunks.
Sugary Foods
When people think about dentists, they often think about lectures about sugar. While it’s always bad for your teeth in excess, this is especially true for kids with braces. Some sugary foods react with saliva to create a gritty, sticky film in the mouth. Without proper cleaning, this film leads to tooth decay and wears brackets.
Non-food Items
While this doesn’t technically fall under what foods should not be eaten with braces, it’s still important. As a parent, you likely understand how young children chew on things. Unfortunately, this causes damages to both braces and teeth.
Discourage your kid from chewing on these items.
- Erasers
- Ice cubes
- Hair
- Pens and pencils
- Straws
- Sleeves
- Hoodie strings
Does Your Child Need Braces?
If you need to look up what foods should not be eaten with braces, it might be time for your child to start orthodontic treatment. Whether they are new to braces or working through the treatment, it’s important to work with an experienced orthodontist in Rosenberg.
At Rosenberg Dental Group, we are a full-service family dentist and orthodontist team serving families in the 77471 area. When you want to straighten your smile or help your family stay healthy, stop by to see what we offer.
With a broad range of treatment options, we have a way to address all dental needs. Book an appointment today!
