Wearing braces comes with several new responsibilities, including watching what you eat to protect your teeth and encourage successful orthodontic work. According to Jerome S. Mittelman, Jean Barilla and Beverly Mittelman, authors of "Healthy Teeth for Kids: A Preventative Program: From Pre-Birth through the Teens," your teeth will need special care while you have braces and avoiding certain foods can keep them in good condition and prevent injury to your mouth as well.
Candy
Candy can be sticky and difficult to chew, making it a poor choice because it can get caught in your braces, break a bracket or bend a wire, notes Jordan Lee, author of "Coping with Braces and Other Orthodontic Work." Hard candies can cause your wires to break, as well, which may cause injury to your gums or tongue until your orthodontist can repair them. Taffy and caramels can get caught in your braces and if not cleaned properly, can cause long-term damage to your teeth and gums. Repairing your braces is possible, adds Jordan, but will prolong the amount of time you spend with the braces on your teeth.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a hard food that can get caught in your braces, notes Lee. The kernels can get lodged in your brackets or under your wires and cause damage or breakage when you try to get them loose. Smaller pieces may be hidden where you cannot see them, which may be left for several days before coming loose when brushing your teeth. Mittelman, Barilla and Mittelman add that leaving food under your brackets or stuck between your teeth for longer than a few hours will begin to damage your teeth and could eventually lead to cavities, decay or discoloration that will be noticeable when your braces come off.
Whole Fruits and Vegetables
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables while you are wearing your braces, but they should be cut into small pieces rather then eaten whole, reports Mittelman, Barilla and Mittelman. Biting into a whole apple or a piece of corn on the cob can snap or bend wires or break your brackets. Remove corn from the cob and cut apples into thin slices to help avoid this type of damage. Whole carrots and broccoli are other common offenders that should be avoided until the braces come off. Cooked vegetables are another alternative because they are usually much softer than raw and whole vegetables.
References
- "Healthy Teeth for Kids: A Preventative Program: From Pre-Birth through the Teens"; Jerome S. Mittelman, Jean Barilla, and Beverly Mittelman; 2001
- "Coping with Braces and Other Orthodontic Work"; Jordan Lee; 1998
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