If you have crooked teeth, you may consider getting braces. Braces work by putting pressure on teeth in one place for a prolonged period of time to move them into a more desired position. Braces not only help to improve your smile, but also improve the positioning of your teeth to make it easier for you to keep them clean and prevent decay. Braces also require you to change your diet to make sure you continue to meet your nutritional needs without eating foods that may damage your braces.
Avoid Hard Foods
Eating hard foods can break the braces off your teeth or bend the wires. To prevent an extra trip to the orthodontist, avoid foods such as hard candies, raw carrots, popcorn kernels, nuts, fruits with a hard skin, chips, tough meats, taco shells, pizza crust, fried chicken and ice.
Avoid Sticky Foods
Food such as gum, taffy, fruit chews, fruit roll-ups, fruit leather and sticky breads can catch on your wires or pull off your braces.
Other Foods to Avoid
Foods like corn on the cob may be difficult to eat when you have braces. Instead, cut the corn off the cob and eat it with a fork instead of biting it directly off of the cob. Eat any meats still on the bone, such as ribs or drumsticks, with a fork instead of directly biting it off the bone.
Because it can be difficult to clean your teeth with braces, you are at a higher risk of developing dental caries, says KidsHealth. To limit your risk, avoid sugary drinks, such as soda and juice, that can stick to your teeth. Instead, drink water or other unsweetened beverages.
Soft Foods to Eat
When you have braces, eat a soft diet that includes easy-to-chew foods. For protein, choose soft-cooked, tender meats cut up into bite-sized pieces, soft-cooked eggs and creamy peanut butter. Adding gravies and sauces to meats can also make them softer and easier to chew.
You should be able to handle milk, yogurt and cheese without any problems, however, avoid any yogurts with hard granola or nuts. Choose canned fruits, applesauce and soft fruits like bananas, mangoes and papayas. Cook all vegetables until soft and tender to make it easier to eat.
You should also be able to safely eat rice, pasta, mashed potatoes and most breads. Cold cereals softened in milk and hot cereals should also be well-tolerated. Other soft foods you can eat with braces include soup, pudding, ice cream and cake.
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