Braces are a must when you have crooked teeth but want a perfect smile. However, when people get braces, their first question is “what to eat with braces.” Indeed, specific things can disturb your braces’ position meant to align your teeth, but that doesn’t mean you will have a bland diet.
Let’s dive straight into the discussion and see an orthodontist’s answer to “what to eat with braces.”
Initial changes:
As soon as you put on the braces, you will be feeling a slight discomfort for around 24 hours. The reason is the newness of this routine. Once you get used to these braces, they won’t cause any pain, and your teeth will get used to it.
Breakfast choices:
If you’re a morning person who likes to have a healthy breakfast before starting your day, we have some good news for you. Breakfast choices for you won’t become entirely different after the braces, except if you used to eat bacon or any other food that could be hard to chew.
You can still go with boiled eggs, or egg benedicts, pancakes, or French toasts – anything that is soft and nicely cooked, so it doesn’t bother you. Remember that the more complex food you choose, the more pain your braces will cause.
Lunch & dinner menu:
You can eat anything for lunch or dinner unless it’s complex or sticky. Most people enjoy soups and tortillas, while some like to go for rice, puddings, mashed potatoes, or peas. You can also go for vegetables. Vegetables are quick to cook and easy/soft to eat, whether you boil them or steam them. A trendy vegetable dish among people with weak food preferences is squash; it is immensely nutritious and soft when baked.
Furthermore, you can add sour yogurt/cream, butter, and cheese with your meal, be your chef, and choose what you like with your mashed potatoes, vegetables, or rice.
Lastly, you can also opt for meat. You can either add it to your pasta or have it in soups; as long as the flesh is soft, you’re good to go. You can also go for plain meat if it is easy to chew.
Fruits/Ice creams:
We all love ice creams! It’s hard to think about being forbidden to eat ice creams. Well, good news for you; you can eat ice cream however you want. Add it to your desserts or eat it separately. Not only will you satisfy your sweet tooth but also, ice cream will also reduce the pain of your braces in the initial days.
Furthermore, fruits are another healthy choice for people with braces. Bananas, specifically, are great as they are soft to chew and taste great. All in all, you can eat any fruit of your choice until it doesn’t hurt you.
Food to avoid:
Let’s talk about the foods that orthodontists discourage. Firstly, it’s best to eat meals with low sugar content because sugar can turn into acid when it mixes with saliva in your mouth. This doesn’t mean that you can never eat something sweet, but you have to be incredibly careful about cleaning your teeth thoroughly.
Other problematic foods, like nachos, tacos, popcorns, raw vegetables, and anything that can cause pain, should be avoided.
Endnote:
Getting braces will undoubtedly bring a massive change to your lifestyle. If you’re struggling with managing your braces, call Pearl Dentistry now at 713.766.4389