Health

Best Food for Your Teeth & Braces: 4 Worst Food To Avoid

There’s no denying that excellent oral hygiene leads to healthy teeth, but added to that, the health of your teeth also depends on the food you intake. Even great orthodontic treatment is necessary.

Here’s a list of the best and worst food for your teeth and braces.

Best Food For Your Teeth & Braces

Your teeth will need more nutrition with braces on, but picking food that does not get stuck in them or could bend the wires is difficult.

Here’s a list of good foods to eat with braces while also including tips that could help you adapt to it:

  1. Dairy Products

Dairy products are rich in calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Cheese lowers the acid levels in your mouth and helps prevent tooth decay, but be careful with hard cheese or thick cream cheese as it risks getting stuck between your braces. 

If you want to eat hard cheese, slice them into thinner pieces. Ensure you stick to softer dairy products for comfort in eating.

  1. Fruits

It is recommended to eat soft fruits with braces. Fruits are a substantial source of essential vitamins and minerals. They are necessary for strong and healthy teeth.

Fruits are great for your overall health, but you need to be careful about which ones you can consume with braces on. Hard fruits like apples, pears, and peaches are hard to eat whole. Cut them into small pieces that are easier to chew with your back teeth.

  1. Vegetables

Vegetables also contain a good amount of vitamins and minerals.

If you want to enjoy eating your favorite raw vegetables like carrots, radish, broccoli, you can cut them into small pieces for ease. But if you can still not eat them, try steaming or boiling them for a few minutes to soften them a bit.

  1. Grains

Whole grains provide you with the correct amount of fiber, iron, and complete nutrition. Most grain products are easy to chew, but be cautious of certain products.

You should avoid hard-crusted bread such as bagels since it is difficult to chew. However, you can soften bread by warming it and breaking it into pieces. Stay away from solid grain pieces and small nuts.

If you like eating crunchy cereals, let them soften in milk before eating.

  1. Lean Meat

Lean boneless meat is best when cut into smaller pieces for the braces wearer.

Eating chicken wings or ribs is dangerous as it risks popping off a bracket. The best alternative is to remove meat from the bone before eating.

Some good choices include fish, lean beef, and pork. Tofu is a good vegetarian option.

The Worst Food For Your Teeth & Braces

Here’s a list of bad food for your teeth & braces:

  1. Small, Hard & Crunchy Foods

Not only do they get stuck in your braces, but they also detach the wires, brackets, and bands. Popcorn, hard nuts, tortilla, chips, and pretzels are some examples of the worst food for your braces.

Starches such as chips and pretzels are not only harmful to your braces but also your teeth. They cause severe tooth decay.

  1. Sugar

Sugar is the primary cause of cavities. It promotes the growth of bacteria in your mouth. The carbohydrates from sugary foods such as candy, cookies, and chocolates expose your teeth to decay.

Avoid caramel, lollipops, and hard candies. Even sticky candies are bad for your braces.

  1. Meat From the Bone

Chicken wings and ribs are the best protein sources, but they are dangerous to your braces since they are chewy, and if you accidentally bite the bone, you may cause the bracket to pop off and break the wire.

  1. Acid Containing Food & Beverages

Foods and beverages containing a high amount of acid erode the enamel of your teeth. Once your enamel gets destroyed, bacteria easily penetrate the surface and cause tooth decay.

Acids in sticky candies and exposure to them frequently are going to harm your teeth.

Also read: How Dental Crowns Restore Damaged Teeth?

Conclusion

Eating with braces need not be a bad and tedious experience. Now that you are aware of the best and worst food, you have various options to choose from. 

Ensuring a healthy diet and regular visits to your orthodontist make it easier for you to cope efficiently with your braces journey.

 Also Read: Understanding the Types, Causes, & Treatment of Teeth Grinding

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Satish Pai

Dr. Satish Pai is an orthodontist and Ivy League-trained dentist who has served as a faculty at Columbia University. He believes a perfect smile makes a person look great and feel great. As the founder of Putnam Orthodontics and a Partner at Brite Orthodontics, he is dedicated to providing the best orthodontic treatments to his patients. He also writes to educate people about orthodontics, the importance of correctly aligned teeth, and good oral health. In his free time, you can find him golfing, doing yoga or surfing, and spending time with his family.

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