Foods Your Orthodontist Won’t Approve Of

Going to the orthodontist and being fitted with braces puts you in another world for a couple of years. While your teeth are being straightened, there are certain things you won’t be able to eat for a while, for fear of them causing damage to the wires pulling your teeth together. Of course, the main thing everyone thinks of is chewing gum. And it’s true. Gum is a major no-no for those who are wearing braces. The gum has a tendency to get caught all up in the wires, creating a major mess. More importantly, however, it exerts an unnatural pull at the structure and can easily create a problem. But gum isn’t the only thing to avoid during your treatment.

Fruits and Veggies

Any dentist would be proud to hear you’ve been eating more fruits and vegetables. Any dentist, that is, other than your orthodontist. It should be noted that not all fruits and vegetables are on the banned list. Only the crispy ones. So while cooked carrots will certainly suffice as a side dish, you should avoid the raw ones. Applesauce is certainly okay, but perhaps not a whole apple. Corn will do fine, but only after it has been taken off the cob. The main thing to be concerned with is anything that crunches. These foods can be a hazard.

Sticky Food

Of course, crunchy stuff isn’t the only category to be wary of. Sticky foods like candy can bring disaster to your doorstep. Unless you want to be back in the orthodontist office every couple of weeks getting your braces fixed, you must avoid any kind of chewy candy. Those soft peppermint candies that show up at Christmas time? Pass. Bit-o-Honey? Pass (but is that really a sacrifice?). Caramels, taffy, gummy bears? Pass, pass, pass. Basically, you’re not going to have much fun Trick or Treating for the duration of your orthodontics work.

Anything Tough

Tough meats, crusty breads, hard or soft pretzels; these are all things that need to be avoided while wearing braces. This would be a good time to note that those braces really are rather sturdy. They can take a variety of foods. You don’t have to eat as if you can’t process anything but baby food, after all. But you must be cautious about putting anything in your mouth that could cause damage. As long as you keep that in mind when choosing your meals and snacks, you should be fine. If in doubt, consult with your orthodontist and ask specifically. Better to be safe than sorry.