One of the greatest challenges that individuals with braces face is the necessity to change their diet. The truth is there are just some foods that don’t work well with braces and should be avoided. Read below to find out what you should avoid in order to get the best results with your braces!
Hard Or Crunchy Food
These types of foods, especially the ones that require biting from the front like corn on the cob or apples, can cause your brackets to break off and wires to bend. Fortunately, there are ways to consume these foods if you feel you can’t live without them. You can cut them into smaller and more manageable pieces so they don’t do damage.
Chewy or Sticky Food
This category includes things like bagels, pizza crust, gum, caramels, taffy etc. These can all cause significant damage to your braces. Though this might seem ridiculous since these foods are soft, the chewing required for these foods can cause your wires to bend and brackets to come off. Stickier foods are even more likely to get stuck and pull the brackets off of your teeth. So, while you have braces try to avoid these types of foods altogether.
Acidic Food or Beverages
Acidic foods are never good for your teeth whether you have braces or not. It can cause discoloration on your teeth by stripping away the protective enamel. Not only does this pave the way for bacteria to create cavities, but when you have braces it also ensures that when your brackets are taken off there will be little white spots. This happens because the bracket protects the enamel in the spot it covers while the rest of the tooth’s enamel is being stripped. This discoloration is permanent, so avoid acidic foods and beverages at least while you have braces.
Come See Dr. Harrison at Parkcrest Dental
If you find yourself in need of braces and a great orthodontist, come see Dr. Harrison at Parkcrest Dental. As a highly qualified, cutting edge orthodontist you know you can trust Dr. Harrison to get your results. He and his team will be able to help you get the smile you want. Contact us today to learn more or set up an appointment!
