Foods to Avoid While Wearing Your Braces
As you invest in orthodontic treatment for your new awesome smile, it is very important to do everything you can to keep your braces in tip-top shape. Braces can be more fragile than you might think, and there are certain foods or treats we strongly recommend that you avoid while we are shaping your new smile.
Foods we advise you stay away from while wearing braces include the following:
Hard or Crunchy Foods Like Hard Bread, Nuts or Chips
Hard bread such as bagels or thick pizza crust often require a lot of force on your teeth and braces while biting. This force combined with the hard food makes it easier to break off brackets. Crunchy foods like nuts and chips also cause you to bite with a lot of force, sometimes resulting in damage your braces.
Hard or Sticky Candy Like Caramels and Taffy
Taffies and caramel are extremely sticky, which is why they are so harmful to your braces and oral health. Caramel and taffy can not only break your orthodontic brackets, but the sugars they contain can literally feed any harmful bacterial plaque that is present on your teeth, resulting in softening of your tooth enamel which can lead to white spots or tooth decay. Please be sure to stay away from sugary and/or sticky candy during your treatment time in braces.
Popcorn
The kernels in the popcorn are what make it so harmful. When you eat popcorn, the kernels can tend to lodge themselves between the brackets and teeth, causing major discomfort and additional complications. The kernels can also cause damage by breaking the brackets off your teeth. These are the reasons why we ask you to avoid eating popcorn.
Please do your best to avoid eating these foods as much as possible. We care for you and your smile, and we want you to have the straightest and healthiest teeth possible. If you have any problems with your braces or if you have a question, please call us today at 614-888-8070 and schedule an appointment with Dr. Catherine Scheurer McDevitt. Our orthodontic team is always ready to help you in any way we can!
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