Best Foods You Can You Eat and What to Avoid During Orthodontic Treatment?

Orthodontic treatment is highly beneficial for your overall oral health – whether you are 12 or 92, braces can help you achieve the smile you deserve.

Many people believe orthodontic treatment is merely cosmetic, but that is far from the truth. Orthodontic treatment keeps your smile healthy – crooked, crowded, and misaligned teeth are more difficult to care for, increasing the risk you’ll suffer from tooth decay and gum disease. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, a surprising 26% of adults aged between 20 and 64 have had dental caries. Well-aligned teeth and better oral care can help you stay away from those statistics.

When you decide to get orthodontic treatment, you begin your journey towards the most optimal version of your dental health. And that commitment will require a bit of work and dedication on your part.

We promise it will be worth it!

Part of your dental care goes beyond well-known oral hygiene routines and tools. Most patients might be surprised to know how their dietary habits will change during their orthodontic care.

The Best Foods You Can Eat With Braces?

The good news is that there are still many different foods you can eat. Dairy products, such as soft cheese and yogurt, are excellent snacks. Not only are they braces-friendly, but dairy products also encourage good oral health as well. Just be careful about your food intolerances and allergies.

You can also enjoy pasta and rice, soft bread products such as pancakes and flour tortillas, steamed or soft vegetables, and soft fruits. And there are still a host of sweet treats you can indulge in, such as ice cream, milkshakes, Jell-O, cake, and soft cookies.

Knowing what you can and can’t eat is important for your orthodontic treatment. It’s also crucial to know how to care for your smile properly.

Best Foods for Your First Week With Braces or Clear Aligners

Even if you wear braces or clear aligners, it will be best to stick to soft foods to avoid any discomfort. Likewise, you’ll want to stay away from foods or beverages that are too hot or cold and prevent any additional discomfort due to tooth sensitivity. Some ideal foods to eat in the first days of treatment include:

• Greek yogurt,
• Mashed potatoes,
• Scrambled eggs,
• Smoothies,
• Oatmeal,
• Pancakes.

Minestrone

This hearty Italian classic will help fill your belly and keep your braces intact while you begin your specialized orthodontic care. First of all, don’t feel like you need to use special vegetables as this is a seasonal preparation that benefits from fresh produce over other considerations.

Onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, squash, zucchini, green beans, and peas work great. Season with some garlic, oregano, and thyme; then, add some tomatoes. Check out the link for additional instructions, but make it an exercise in personal expression and change some of the ingredients to your liking.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Another gift from our Italian-American friends. You can try to make this with or without cream. We’re gonna go without and start with a bechamel base you can start with butter, flour, and milk. Add some garlic, basil, oregano, and parmesan to add more flavor. Please remember to salt your pasta water generously and top the sauce with some fresh parsley. The best part is that this dish can serve as the base for any protein, but chicken works wonders and won’t endanger your braces at all.

Onion Kugel

A more savory version of a Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashana staple, this tasty dish is like the love baby of an onion soup and everything great about mushrooms. The only downside is how many onions you’ll have to chop. The filling is very simple as you’ll only have to saute the onions until transparent. Mix some oil with eggs and water, add the onions and then add some flour with baking powder. The optional mushrooms can go here when desired. You’ll just have to bake this, uncovered, until golden on top.

Foods to Avoid in Your Diet During Your Treatment With Braces

Once you have gotten used to your braces, you can expand your diet. However, it is important to remember what types of foods you can’t eat while in braces. If you want to avoid damaging your brackets and wires, you must avoid anything too hard, chewy, sticky, or crunchy.

Types of foods that are on the do not eat list include:

• Bagels,
• Taffy,
• Licorice,
• French bread,
• Popcorn,
• Potato chips,
• Caramel,
• Bubble gum,
• Raw vegetables,
• Nuts,
• Hard crackers or cookies,
• Foods you have to bite into, such as corn on the cob and apples.

Your brackets are bonded to your teeth using a strong bonding agent, but even this bonding agent is not invincible. Foods that are too hard, sticky, crunchy, or chewy can pull the brackets off and damage the wires. When small pieces of food go between the brackets and teeth, they act as leverage and can easily peel away the brackets.

What happens if you have a loose bracket? Your braces can only work to guide your teeth to their new locations if they are in proper working order. We remind patients they have to comply with professional recommendations if they wish to maintain treatment efficiency.

Try to stay away from the items on this list to prevent any problems with orthodontic emergencies or unwanted delays during your treatment.

What Can I Eat With Invisalign or Spark Aligners?

That answer depends on the treatment specifics for your case.

If you’ve opted for Invisalign or are currently using Spark clear aligner trays, congratulations – you don’t need to make any major adjustments to your diet. You might want to consider some minor changes for the first few days while getting used to the treatment to avoid some of the problems we discussed before.

Your aligners are removable, so you can simply take them off when eating and drinking. We would also ask you to talk with Dr. Solomon and determine if you can even chew your food with the aligner trays. In many cases, this has helped our patients seed the changes and accelerate treatment even more. But if you’ve opted for traditional braces, you will need to avoid some foods throughout your treatment to prevent any damage to brackets and metal wires.

No matter what type of treatment you choose, you will want to stick to soft foods with braces in the first few days of treatment. Your teeth will be more sensitive as they get used to moving, and your mouth will feel tender.

The Role of Dental Hygiene

A healthy smile is crucial to keeping treatment on track and ensuring you can enjoy your beautiful new smile as quickly as possible.

Left-over food particles can mix with the bacteria that live in your mouth. When this happens, the sugars found in the foods we consume mix with the bacteria found in our saliva, leading to plaque formation. If not removed, plaque turns into tartar, and thatand that in turn causes periodontal issues (gum issues), bone loss or even tooth loss. In addition plaque can demineralize the enamel and cause tooth decay.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease and tooth decay.

Watch out and pay close attention to your oral health.

Pack an on-the-go care kit to keep with you to ensure you are always ready to fend off plaque formation. A travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste should be in that kit, along with floss, orthodontic wax, a small mirror, and anything else you need to make your orthodontic treatment care easy.

How to Properly Brush Your Teeth With Braces

Your toothbrush will become your new best friend. It’s important to brush after eating anything – even a snack. Your brackets and wires create a lot of nooks and crannies where food particles can get trapped.

A soft-bristled toothbrush can be a lot better for you than any other option. Some of the same rules apply as you’ll do better with circular motions on all the surfaces of your teeth. You can improve your oral hygiene with flossers, but thorough brushing after eating can ensure you properly remove any leftover food particles.

1. Remove any elastics, bands, or otherwise removable parts from your braces.
2. Brush around the archwires.
3. Brush at a 45-degree angle from the gum line.
4. Try to brush your teeth for at least two minutes at a time.
5. Rinse with water or a fluoride mouthwash to dislodge any remaining food debris.
6. Only use soft or extra-soft bristle tooth brush or an electric toothbrush in order to prevent gum recession.

Get the Help You Need

Orthodontic treatment is critical to creating a healthy, stable bite meant to last a lifetime.

But it isn’t without a bit of hard work. From knowing which are the best foods for your treatment with braces to caring for your smile correctly, you play an essential role in the progression of your orthodontic care.

Knowing the importance of brushing and flossing and eating the right foods will ensure your treatment stays on track so you can reap the benefits of your hard work in no time.

Make sure you cooperate with your orthodontist to receive better guidance during your treatment. Get in touch with us or set an appointment to get help from the best orthodontist Beverly Hills has available. We will love working with you.