Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar should be eaten with care and sometime avoided learn how to eat with braces below.
A careful orthodontic patient can probably eat almost any food and do no damage to his/her appliances. However, these three types of food may cause trouble:
1 .Hard Foods
2. Sticky Foods
3. Foods high in sugar
Hard Foods And Braces
These foods can do damage by bending wires, breaking braces, and loosening the cement that attaches the appliances to your teeth.
Avoid all of the following hard foods:
Hard bread, ice, jaw breakers, jolly ranchers and other hard candy.
Take special care when eating these foods:
Corn on the cob – Should be cut off the cob.
Carrots (Raw) – Cut into “carrot curls” that are thinner and chew on back teeth.
Celery – Chew on back teeth.
Apples – Cut into wedges and chew on back teeth.
Popcorn – Avoid hard kernels. Remove any outside husks that may get trapped between the teeth and gums. Be sure to floss, as trapped husks can cause serious swelling and infection.
Sticky Foods
These foods may damage appliances by bending wires and pulling cement loose.
Avoid the following sticky foods:
Caramels, Sugar Daddy’s, Starburst, Taffy, and anything “Gummy”.
Foods High In Sugar
Limit the amount of sugary foods you eat. Sugar can increase the plaque that forms on your teeth, causing cavities and permanent white marks. Many foods, like breakfast cereals, have hidden sugars. These foods should be avoided whenever possible. If you do choose to eat sugary foods, please brush immediately after.
Avoid between meal snacking. The worst thing you can do is have sodas or eat crackers and chips between meals without brushing!!!
A Few Other Things...
Soft Drinks
In addition to containing a lot of sugar, soft drinks also contain a substance that can cause permanent damage to the enamel on your teeth. If you decide to drink soft drinks, we recommend that you brush thoroughly to decrease the possibility of damage. If you are unable to brush, please rinse your mouth with water to minimize potential problems.
Lemons
Over a period of time, pure lemon juice can damage the enamel on your teeth.
Foreign Objects
Do not put fingers, pens, pencils or popsicle sticks in your mouth. These objects may break brackets, bend wires, and loosen cement.