The first days in braces are more difficult to eat than normal. We tell our patients that soft foods are easier to eat and chew than foods that are tough. There will be a slight discomfort when you first get your braces on, so the action of chewing just makes it more painful. Here are some GREAT IDEAS for the first three days in braces:
Breakfast foods
 |
| Scrambled Eggs |
- Scrambled eggs
- Pancakes
- Oatmeal
- Cream of wheat
- Bananas
- Toast
 |
| Banana Recipe |
- Pudding
- Jello
- Spaghetti O's
- Ravioli's
- Cheese
- Grapes
- Brownies
- Hummus and Pita Bread
- Bananas, Sliced Apples, Raisins
- Breads
- Soups
Dinner Foods
 |
| Veggie Soup |
- Breakfast for Dinner
- Pastas
- Rice
- Hamburger Helper
- Soups
- Grilled Cheese
- Hamburgers & Fries
- Chili
- Cooked Veggies
- Softer Meats
Desserts & Snacks
- Pudding
- Jello
- Smoothies
- Milk Shakes
- Ice Cream
- Brownies
- M&M's (Non-Frozen)
- Chocolate
- Popsicle
- Cinnamon rolls
The first days in braces are always the hardest. At first some patients have a hard time eating their favorite foods. We ask patients to chew softly and to remember that they have braces on before they aimlessly bite into anything. To help keep the brackets on patients need to cut foods into smaller pieces about 1 inch squares. This helps allow you to get the food to the back teeth so the patient is less likely to break brackets. After the about 2-3 weeks patients find it easier and easier to eat more foods that they like.
We tell our patients that they can have anything that they want as long as it is not Sticky, Chewy, or Hard! This means that there are quite a few foods our patients won't be allowed to eat while they are having fixed orthodontic care.
Things to AVOID:
Sticky:
- Jolly Ranchers
- Taffys
- Caramel
- Bubble Gum
Chewy:
- Airheads
- Now & Laters
- Skittles
- Starburst
Hard:
- Uncut Apples and Fruit with hard centers
- Chicken Wings, Ribs and Meat with Bones
- All of the above items need to be cut into pieces
- Pens, Pencils and fingernails should be kept out of your mouth and away from brackets
- Nuts, Hard Pretzels, Some Chips & other Crunchy foods
- Frozen candies in Ice Cream
Things that you didn't thing you could eat but CAN:
- You MAY chew SUGAR-FREE gum (We actually encourage it!)
- Popcorn (Try to limit popcorn to special occations due to the extra Oral Hygiene needed to remove from braces, teeth and gums)
- Chips ( You have to break them into smaller pieces)
- Soda (We ask that you limit soda to mealtimes and always rinse with water after consumption)
Here are just a few ideas to help get you started on the first few days in fixed orthodontic treatment.
3 comments:
I thought you couldn't chew gum....
In our office we allow our patients to chew sugar free chewing gum. We allow this because the constant pressure and release relieves some of the discomfort of the braces. It also allows patients who are in a hurry, to remove some of the bits and pieces of food from their braces between brushing. As long as it is sugar free it actually can be very helpful.
What about honey buns?
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