Braces are a big investment of both time and money. There’s the time you will spend with them on your teeth and the money it costs for treatment. The rewards are big too, however. You will get straight teeth, a great smile and all the confidence that goes along with these things. To best take advantage of this orthodontic treatment, you need to take care of your new braces. The following are some food items to avoid as while you undergo the your teeth straightening process.
During the time you’ll be wearing braces, you may not be able to eat all the food that you previously enjoyed, but keep in mind, it’s only temporary. For the time being, however, there are a few things you’ll need to avoid. A general rule would be any foods that are hard, chewy, crunchy or sticky as well as foods that you bite into.
Chewy and sticky foods, like licorice, taffy or bagels and certain candies, can get stuck in the wires of your braces making them difficult to clean. They can also pull the wires loose as you chew. Any sort of chewing gum should also to be avoided for this reason. Crunchy foods like popcorn and chips, and hard food like nuts and hard candy, need to be avoided as well. Most candy falls into one of these categories and should be abstained from. Your teeth don’t need all that sugar anyway! Foods that you bite into can also pose a problem because they meet with your braces first instead of your teeth. Corn and apples are good examples of these types of food.
Don’t worry, there is plenty of good food that you can consume worry-free. Dairy products, bread, rice, meat and seafood should be safe as long as they don’t fall into the hard, crunchy, chewy or sticky categories. That means milkshakes and ice cream are fine, in moderation, of course. Stick to these guidelines and before you know it, your treatment will be complete, your braces will be off and you can go back to eating all the foods you enjoy.