It can sometimes take a while to get used to eating with your braces, one of the questions we get asked most during a consultation is ‘what can I eat with braces’ and especially when you first get them fitted your teeth can be a little bit sensitive. We suggest softer foods that don’t require too much effort for the first night at least, then just tune in to how you feel.
On one of our recent patient surveys, we have had all kinds of responses from ‘went home and ate steak for dinner’ to ‘only ate cereal and yoghurt for 2 days’ and everything in between. So it is quite an individual situation. If you are very uncomfortable, try a mild pain reliever such as paracetamol to help ease things.
Also, don’t forget the magic wax. This can be a huge relief until your cheeks toughen up.
We have a fridge magnet that gives you a quick guideline, ask for one when you next visit or you can also download a copy to print out here.
We always say – if it is hard, sticky or sweet – avoid it!
But does that mean you should miss out on that yummy yummy birthday cake from Aunty June’s party? Definitely not, but just be sure to rinse out your mouth with water, or better still, brush if you can so that there are no sticky sugary icing blobs stuck around your braces.
Hard food such as pizza crusts, bread rolls, crunchy vegetables and fruit can be chopped into smaller pieces and chewed with your back teeth. This will help avoid biting into something with your front teeth and damaging the wires or brackets that are most vulnerable.
Sticky foods – well that should be fairly self-explanatory. Anything that will stick around your brackets can be a haven for plaque and that can mean nasty brown stains on your teeth come deband time.
Keep your MOG Travel Toothbrush handy and any time you find yourself having indulged in a little something that might cause a problem give a quick brush, even a brush with water is better than nothing, and if you don’t have your brush do your best to wash your mouth out with water at the very least.
There are lots of fantastic recipes available that a quick Google search will reveal, including many specifically for orthodontics. Having braces doesn’t have to mean a heavily restricted diet, just meal planning around how sensitive your teeth are feeling and how likely you are to be able to tend quickly to your dental hygiene.
If you are a smoker you might like to read our post on smoking and braces.
