Kids and Teeth from Babyhood to University

As a way of aligning your teeth to achieve a straighter smile, your braces can have a life-changing effect on your appearance. If you use traditional track metal braces, you may need to adjust your eating habits after. While some adjustments are temporary, you should stick to others for the duration of your treatment. Here are some adjustments to be aware of. 

Soft Foods for a Few Days

While the tissues in your mouth adjust, you're likely to experience some tenderness. To accommodate this, you may want to try eating soft foods for the first few days of having braces in. Such foods could include mashed potatoes, oatmeal, seafood and pasta. To ensure you get enough nutrients, try eating soft or pureed vegetables too. Or, you could try drinking a smoothie. 

Avoid Some Triggering Foods

Alongside focusing on soft foods, you should avoid triggering substances that could irritate your mouth for the first few days of having braces. In those first few days, your braces may cause minor abrasions on your lips and other soft tissues. As a result, substances that are acidic or spicy are likely to increase the tenderness. Avoid sharp citrus fruits and softer foods with heavy amounts of spice. When the time comes to eat them again, introduce them slowly until you're certain your abrasions have healed.

Skip Foods That Stick

You'll be forgiven for thinking that you can eat all foods that are easy to chew after your initial few days of having braces in. However, to maintain a good state of dental hygiene you should avoid those that are likely to stick in the wires. For example, pizza crust, popcorn, hard bread rolls and crackers. When these foods remain within your braces' wires, they act as a source of sustenance for bacteria. Additionally, they may force the wires out of place over time, which could result in more adjustments when you attend orthodontic appointments.

Try to Avoid Heavy Chewing

Foods that require heavy chewing to break them apart or to crunch through are likely to break the wires on your braces. When this happens, they become less effective and you may encounter an oral injury. Examples of this include steak that's difficult to chew and hard crunchy sweets. If you do eat something that loosens a wire, contact your dentist or orthodontist so that they can cut it back. Eventually, you'll need to see your orthodontist so that they can repair the braces.

If you're looking for an orthodontist who does braces in your area, contact a professional near you.