A trip to the orthodontist to put on braces for the first time or to readjust/re tighten existing braces may cause initial discomfort for the teeth. Moreover, the presences of braces in the mouth requires extra sensitivity and care. This makes it important for patients with braces to make conscious food choices and to adopt a braces-friendly diet.
* Eat soft foods
Soft and non-chewy foods are ideal for braces as they are easier to consume, less likely to aggravate sensitive teeth and less likely to damage braces. Such foods include:
- Breads (without hard crust)
- Cheeses (soft)
- Eggs
- Fruits (banana, mango, watermelon etc.)
- Ice Cream
- Pancakes
- Pasta
- Potatoes (boiled or mashed)
- Rice
- Smoothies
- Seafood meats [soft and without the shell (crab, fish, lobster, prawn)]
- Soup
- Meats [deboned and soft cooked to reduce toughness (chicken, turkey etc.)]
- Milkshakes
- Noodles
- Vegetables (steamed until soft and easy to bite and chew)
- Yogurt
* Avoid hard foods
Hard foods can damage the wires and crack the brackets. Hard foods can also . A general rule of thumb is to avoid crunchy food and stick to soft foods. Such foods include:
- Bagels
- Bread (hard crusts)
- Cereal
- Fruits (apple)
- Granola
- Ice
- Nuts
- Popcorn (kernel)
- Potato chips
- Tortilla chips
- Vegetables (carrot)
* Avoid sticky foods
Wearing braces increase the difficulty of cleaning the teeth as the braces obstruct the toothbrush and increase the number of blindspots for cleaning. To make it easier to clean the teeth and braces, sticky food should be avoided. Such foods include:
- Candy
- Caramel
- Chocolate
- Toffee