Food Guidelines
Taking Care During Treatment
For most situations, common sense will tell you what foods to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided.
Foods to Avoid
It’s important to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, call our office immediately to arrange an appointment for repair.
Foods to Avoid
It’s important to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, call our office immediately to arrange an appointment for repair.
DO Eat
When looking for things to eat, avoid anything that could stick to your braces or get stuck behind the wires. Generally, the softer the texture the better.
Soft Fruits
- Grapefruits
- Nectarines
- Kiwi
- Tangerines
Vegetables
Steam them so that they come out soft.
Dairy Products
Yogurt and cheese are good alternatives to tough meat.
Soft Meats
- Tender chicken
- Turkey
- Meat loaf
- Lunch meat
- Seafood
Desserts
- Pudding
- Applesauce
- Smoothies
- Ice Cream
Soft Grains
- Cooked Pasta
- Cooked Rice
Soft Breads
- Tortillas
- Biscuits
- Muffins
- Pancakes
Eggs
Eggs are another good alternative to tough meats, especially breakfast foods like bacon.
Protect & Preserve Your Smile
As we mentioned earlier, part of protecting your teeth involves eating right. The other part involves caring for your teeth correctly. It takes a little more time and effort to brush and floss effectively with braces on, but it’s still essential to clean your teeth regularly.
