Orthodontic treatments are those that use dental appliances to correct a patient’s bad bite (technically known as a “malocclusion”). The most common and well-known orthodontic treatment is braces. When undergoing orthodontic treatment, there are certain foods and drinks you should avoid in order to prevent damage to the teeth and the appliance.
Sticky foods can get caught in the wires and brackets, making them difficult to clean. Once the sticky foods are stuck, the braces can hold them against the teeth, which can lead to tooth decay. They can even cause damage to the braces by pulling at the wires and brackets.
Examples of sticky foods to avoid include licorice, gummy candies, gum (even sugar-free gum), toffee, and caramels.
There are certain hard foods that you should also avoid because they can bend or break the wires or brackets. Ice, hard candy, popcorn and nuts should be avoided. Along with damaging the orthodontics, these food items can get caught in the wires, irritating the gums.
Chewy foods or harder foods that you would normally bite into with your front teeth need to be avoided or cut up into small pieces that you can chew with your molars. This prevents damage to the braces along the front of the mouth. These foods include whole apples, corn on the cob, chewy meats on the bone, and celery.
You will also want to minimize how much sugary food you eat, even if these items won’t cause damage to the braces. Your orthodontist will tell you to only eat a little bit of ice cream, cake, cookies, and other sweet treats that can lead to tooth decay if you don’t properly clean the braces.
Avoiding certain drinks can also help prevent tooth decay while you have braces. Soda, sweet tea, and sugary sports drinks shouldn’t be consumed more than once per day. The sugar in these beverages can be hard to remove when you have braces.
To learn more about orthodontic treatment and which foods to avoid to ensure a successful outcome, contact Newman Orthodontics serving Nassau County today.
