Why can’t I eat whatever I want while in braces or an appliance?

Q: Why can't I eat whatever I want while in braces or an appliance?

 

The number one culprit for damaging or breaking appliances and braces is food and candy.

Hard candies, ice, corn on the cob, and whole apples are just a few foods that can break, loosen, or damage your braces and appliances. Food you should not consume while in braces include:

 

 

The following are examples of what certain types of foods can do to your braces and appliances.

 

• Chewing or biting on ice can cause brackets to become loose, fall off or even be damaged. It can also cause wires to be bent out of shape.

• Hard candies can cause brackets to become displaced, broken or damaged. It can also cause appliances to be broken or damaged.

• Chewy candles or caramels can cause bands to become loose, as well as brackets to be damaged or broken.

So as you can see major damage can be done to your braces and appliances just by food or ice. Avoiding these will help treatment progress at the expected timeframe and not be prolonged due to more appointments to repair these damages. Damaging or breaking these takes extra time to be put back on, since an appointment needs to be made and can reverse any progress you have made so far. We know it may seem unfair to not be able to eat candy or tough foods, but remember that sacrificing a few foods will result in a beautiful straight smile that will last a lifetime.

 

While the list above of foods you should avoid may seem long, the foods that are ok to eat while in braces is even longer! Soft foods, pasta and fruits are just a few of the foods that are ok to eat while in braces.

 

Some of the foods you should eat while in braces include:

 

 

These are just a few of the foods that are ok to eat while in braces, but there are many, many more. If it is soft and isn't hard to chew or consume, then it is most likely safe to eat. With an abundant number of recipes online for braces-friendly recipes you will never go hungry! You can check out our Pinterest page for meal ideas, or do a search of your own.

Albert Ellender D.D.S.