When you first get your braces, you will need to avoid certain food items as they can actually impede the process of aligning your teeth. Some of the food items on the ban list are quite obvious, but there are some that, although may seem harmless, can actually do long-term damage to your teeth straightening appliances.
Crunch and Bite
As a general rule, food items that you have to exert more effort into biting or chewing can seriously damage your braces. Crusty bread, such as bagels or the actual crust of pizzas, are what you want to avoid as they can pop the brackets of your braces or bend its wires. If the wires start bending in different directions, your teeth will conform to their position and this can be extremely painful.
Snacks like popcorn, nuts and seeds, and hard candy are things you should also watch out. As you will be spending more time crunching and chewing these foodstuffs, you will be adding unnecessary strain into your braces and eventually, it will start wearing out.
Bits and Pieces
Some food items leave bits and pieces when you eat them; you do not need to stop eating these entirely, but you should take extra care when you do eat them. Sweets, especially caramel or softer candies often leave pieces behind your mouth. They do not necessarily damage your braces, but they are more difficult to clean.
Since these are sugars, they tend to attract bacteria when left unattended and that means you risk developing plaque or even tartar in hard to reach places, such as behind the wires of your braces. As your teeth tend to be more vulnerable when you have teeth straightening appliances, eating or sugary food or drinks may cause your teeth to decay faster.
While there are a lot of foodstuffs that you have to avoid when you get braces, there are also some that we suggest eating in order to strengthen your teeth. Anything with calcium, such as cheese, yoghurt and milk, help strengthen your teeth. If you want filling meals, we suggest eating noodle dishes as they tend to go down easily.
At Weybridge Orthodontics, we understand how serious breakages are and how certain food items can cause this. Visit our website at https://www.surreybraces.co.uk/ for more information about our orthodontic treatments, or arrange a consultation with us today.