What Foods Can You Not Eat with Braces and the Ones that You Can

What foods can you not eat with braces? You may have this question when you or your family members are wearing braces. In most cases, people will have to wear braces for their dental health reason. Besides addressing some teeth misalignment issue, braces can be used to improve dental health. Of course, there are some benefits and downsides. Not to mention that you will have a lot of considerations to make before wearing one. Knowing the right foods (which to consume and which to avoid) will be a part of those considerations.


Reasons to Be Careful

Choosing the high quality braces should be a part of your decision because you don’t want to deal with flimsy quality. Moreover, when you choose the wrong kind of foods, you will end up breaking the wires or the braces. It isn’t only the solid or hard food that will be your nemesis, but also foods that are high in sugar. Sticky and sweet foods are the major enemy that you should avoid because they can be dangerous for your dental health.

The Picky Food Lists


So, what foods can you not eat with braces? You should ask this question when you visit your dentist. Don’t forget to have a thorough consultation and discussion with them, focusing on the dental health practice, the proper consumption, and also the new routine. Here is the list of foods you can’t eat with braces:

• Ice. It is okay to have ice cubes in your drink but chewing or biting them? It’s not really a smart move. Most people tend to forget this when they are enjoying their cold drinks. It is not the cold drink that is responsible for the damaged braces, but the action of biting or chewing them. 
• Tough meaty snacks. Some people like to snack on beef jerky, but the tough texture of the meat can really damage the braces. Pork or beef that is poorly cooked will also damage your braces, so be extra careful when consuming these meats.
• Hard foods. This can be anything, such as nuts, raw veggies, hard bread, or pizza crust. They may not damage your braces from the start, but if you consume them quite often, it will lose the brackets and wires of the braces, leading to more serious damage. If you have to consume them, consider the alternative consumption methods. Raw veggies can be boiled or cooked to soften them. Instead of eating the crust of the pizza, why not eating the center? Or when you have to eat hard bread, use a sauce or broth to make it softer. 

It doesn’t mean that you can’t eat these foods at all. You just need to figure out an alternative way to consume it in a softer manner so it won’t hurt your teeth as well as damaging your braces. If you can figure out the smarter alternatives, feel free to consume them anytime you like. If you can’t find the alternatives, it is best to stay away from these foods. It would be wise if you don’t consume them quite often – that is.

However, there are some foods that should completely be eliminated from your menu. Stay far away from these foods until you don’t wear braces anymore. What foods can you not eat with braces at all?

• Hard candy. It has the combination of sugar and also hard texture, which will be super bad for your dental health. The hard texture will be extra bad for the braces. The sugar may be trapped in between your teeth and it creates the dental plaque. Not only you may damage the braces, you will hurt your teeth too.
• Sticky foods. They will be trapped in between your braces, for sure, and cleaning the braces (as well as your teeth) will be super difficult. Even in the healthy teeth alone, sticky foods are often the culprits for dental problems. You should stay away from maple syrup, caramel, peanut butter, gum, and other things alike.
• Inedible items. Do you have a bad habit of biting your fingernails? Do you like to chew your pens? These are the things that can also damage your braces. They aren’t parts of your consumption but they can do a significant damage.

Those are the things that you should completely avoid. Now that you already know what foods can you not eat with braces, you can be careful about your menu planning.

Safe Foods

Whereas we are talking about the foods to avoid in the previous section, now we can focus on the safe foods. So, what foods can you eat with braces? They should not cause any stuck on the wires of braces. They should also be soft in texture. The list includes:

• Deserts, like smoothies, applesauce, ice cream, and pudding
• Veggies. All kinds of veggies are okay as long as they are steamed or boiled. Hard texture veggies are okay but always soften them up first
• Soft fruits, like kiwi, tangerines, oranges, or grapefruits
• Dairy products. Instead of the meat, cheese and yogurt will be the perfect substitutions
• Soft breads, like biscuits, pancakes, muffins, and tortillas
• Eggs. They are another good substitutions to the meats
• Soft grains, like cooked rice or pasta
• Soft meats, like turkey, seafood, meatloaf, and tender chicken

While you are at it, it doesn’t hurt to take extra precaution to strengthen the enamel. It is the outer layer of the tooth where the braces are stuck to. When your enamel is stronger, bigger chances that the braces will also stick longer too. While planning the braces diet, include these foods to make your teeth stronger:

• Cheese. Not only it is soft and tasty, it will also reduce the level of acidity inside the mouth.
• Foods rich in calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, and milk. It’s okay to consider tofu, okra, kale, and broccoli too
• Foods rich in protein, such as protein shake, beans, eggs, tofu, and soft meats.

Again, it is a good idea to always talk about things thoroughly with your dentist. Now you have the added knowledge about what foods can you not eat with braces and which you can (and should) consume, you can make a wiser option.