From pool parties with friends to BBQs with neighbors, lots of summer activities revolve around food. Since traditional orthodontics come with dietary restrictions, you might initially think that means you have to pass on all of the delicious seasonal treats. Fortunately, that’s not the case! Here are seven summer foods that you can eat with braces (as well as a few that you should avoid).
7 Foods You Can’t Eat with Braces
First, let’s talk about some of the foods you should skip when it comes time to fill up your plate:
- Corn on the cob
- Hard pretzels
- BBQ ribs
- Raw carrots
- Caramel popcorn
- Cotton candy
- S’mores
Indulging in these foods can negatively impact your oral health as well as the condition of your braces. Simply put, if you want to lower your risk of needing same-day orthodontic care, then it’s best to steer clear of them entirely.
7 Foods You Can Eat with Braces
The good news is that there are plenty of foods that are festive, satiating, and braces-friendly. Here are a few examples:
- Macaroni salad
- Deviled eggs
- French fries
- Beans
- Chili
- Ice cream
- Kiwi (and other soft foods)
Basically, you want to stick to softer foods that won’t place immense pressure on your brackets and wires, decreasing the chances of them breaking.
How to Take Care of Your Braces This Summer
If this is your first summer with braces, then learning about what you should and shouldn’t eat is a great first step. Of course, there are several other ways you can protect your teeth and your braces from harm. The first is wearing a mouthguard when playing sports and avoiding unhealthy habits, like biting your nails or using your teeth as tools to open things. The second is implementing a solid oral hygiene regimen and using the necessary tools to keep your brackets and wires clean too, like interproximal toothbrushes. Keeping travel-sized dental care essentials with you will make it easy to do so whether you’re at the pool, relaxing at home, or traveling!
About the Practice
Since our team at Simply Orthodontics – Webster lives and breathes braces day in and day out, we have a lot of helpful tips and tricks on how to navigate life with braces. More importantly, we make an effort to share everything we know with our patients – whether they have traditional orthodontics or Invisalign – so their journey to a straight smile is as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. If you have any questions for us about what you can and can’t eat with braces, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (508) 943-2100 or schedule an appointment with us via our website.