Do you know which foods will damage your braces? Were you even aware that some foods could do that? Dr. Hemphill has seen it dozens of times at our Celina practice. Our Hemphill Orthodontics team wants you to know that certain foods can damage your braces. Here are a few examples.
Hard and Crunchy Foods
Hard and crunchy foods are notorious for damaging your. They can easily break your brackets or bend your wires. But the worst part of that isn’t just the damage to your braces. Having broken appliances can make your treatment last longer (oh no!).
No Crunch in Your Brunch
Nuts, hard candies, popcorn, and ice are hard and crunchy foods to avoid. These can put too much strain on your braces.
Hard Foods Make Hard Times For Braces
Excess strain means broken brackets and wires. Chewing on hard foods can feel uncomfortable or even painful during your braces treatment. Broken brackets and wires can delay your treatment progress. Not to mention the fact that you’ll have to come and see Dr. Hemphill more often for emergency orthodontic visits.
Choosy Braces Patients Choose Jif
Opt for alternatives like soft nuts such as peanut butter, soft candies, and “puffy” snacks. Choosing softer options reduces the risk of damaging your braces while still enjoying tasty treats. Always prioritize gentle foods on your orthodontic appliances to ensure a smooth treatment journey.
Sticky and Chewy Foods
Sticky and chewy foods harm your braces, too. They get stuck in your brackets and wires and then make cleaning difficult. If you can’t clean your teeth, especially between your wires and brackets, you might develop cavities.
No Chomping On Chewy Goodies
Sticky and chewy foods to avoid include caramel, chewing gum, gummy candies, and taffy. These foods will gunk up the surfaces of your braces. You’ll have to battle a sticky residue that is challenging to remove.
Chewy Foods Give Braces The Blues
Take note of the risks associated with consuming sticky and chewy foods. They can loosen your brackets and bend your wires. The result? Delays in your treatment (gasp!).
Stock Up on Soft Snacks
Look for sugar-free gum, soft chocolate, or non-sticky snacks such as yogurt or applesauce. These options satisfy your cravings without compromising your orthodontic treatment.
Sugary Foods and Drinks
Sugary foods and drinks can damage your teeth, but it can be even worse with braces. Sugar promotes tooth decay and gum disease (blek!). It’s crucial to limit your sugar consumption to maintain your oral health during orthodontic treatment.
Don’t Sugarcoat It
Sugary foods and drinks to steer clear of include soda, candy, sugary cereals, and sweetened beverages. They coat your teeth and braces with sugar. What do bacteria love? Sugar! The resulting plaque buildup can lead to cavities and gum issues. No fun!
Sugary Sabotage
Sugar can easily get trapped around your brackets and wires. That’s ground zero for a bacteria bonanza! Bacteria growth leads to tooth decay and gum disease. This not only jeopardizes your oral health but can also (you guessed it!) delay your braces treatment.
Sugar-Free Is The Way To Safety
Choose alternatives like water, sugar-free drinks, and low-sugar snacks such as fruits and vegetables. These healthier choices help maintain your oral health and support the success of your braces treatment. You’ll also get the necessary nutrients without the harmful effects of sugar.
Tough Meats and Breads
It’s summertime. So everyone’s grilling out. But tough meats can be challenging to chew and potentially harmful to your braces. Even some breads prove problematic for braces
Meat is Mean To Your Braces
Avoid beef jerky, steak, crusty or crunchy bread, and bagels. Foods like these require significant force to bite and chew. Biting too hard can mess up your braces. Instead, seek out softer protein sources and breads to prevent unnecessary strain on your braces.
Briskets Break Brackets
Chewing tough, fibrous meats and dense bread puts extra force on your brackets and wires. Your brackets are already under tension (that’s how they straighten your teeth). Too much extra pressure can cause your brackets to get loose. Even if they don’t break, they may lack the tension they need to keep realigning your smile.
Tenderize Your Taste
Choose tender meats, such as chicken or fish, and soft bread. These options are easier to chew and less likely to damage your braces. By selecting braces-friendly foods, you help maintain the condition of your orthodontic appliances and support a smoother treatment process.
Fruits and Vegetables
Add servings of fruits and vegetables to your nutrition. But even some of these can be culprits in damaging your braces. Hard, raw, and fibrous fruits and veggies can impair your braces if incorrectly prepared. You may need to brush up on your cooking skills!
Fruity Fractures
Fruits and vegetables to avoid in their whole form include raw carrots, apples, and corn on the cob. These can be too hard to bite into and may cause your brackets to pop off or wires to bend.
Broken Brackets in the Fruit Basket
The risks associated with hard, raw fruits and vegetables include breaking brackets and bending wires (are you noticing a pattern here?). Tough foods, even “good” ones, can be candidates for the collapse of your braces treatment.
Slice N’ Dice
What should you do? Cut fruits and vegetables into small, manageable pieces. Or, cook them until they are soft. Slice apples and carrots thinly and remove corn from the cob before eating. These methods make it easier to enjoy these healthy foods without compromising your braces.
Braces at Hemphill Orthodontics
Our Hemphill Orthodontics team wants to see smiles sprouting all over Celina. To make that happen for you or your family, go here to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Hemphill.
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Dr. Hemphill