The biggest downside to braces is the fact that there are a lot of foods that you can't eat. These foods are essentially on every pamphlet and leaflet every orthodontist hands out to every patient everywhere. At Jarosz and Valente Orthodontics, you don't just receive a list of "verboten" foods. You receive valuable information as to why you should not eat these foods when you have braces.
Sticky Foods
Sticky foods include gum, gummy candies, taffy, caramels, etc. The problem with these sticky foods is that they tend to adhere to brackets and wires, and they make it very difficult to keep braces clean.
The extra sugar in most of these sticky foods causes extra problems between teeth and in your gums. Since it is already tricky to floss when you have braces, sticky foods complicate oral hygiene problems by increasing plaque buildup between teeth. Additionally, some of these sticky foods can break brackets and wires, creating costly repairs to your orthodontic appliances.
Hard to Bite or Chew Foods
A lot of the foods you might think are perfectly healthy and a good idea to eat with braces are also off the menu. Raw carrots, apples, pears, and other extremely crunchy snacks are not for biting with braces. If you cut them into small pieces and chew them up that way, it's okay, but you can't bite them whole and raw.
Other tough-to-bite or chew foods include steak, pizza crusts, bread or rolls with hard outer crusts, croutons, and bagels or pretzels. If it takes a lot of jaw muscle to chew, it's off the menu.
Hard Foods or Hulled Foods
Hard foods that you don't chew but just suck on, like hard candies or ice cubes, are forbidden, too. There's too much risk that you will accidentally bite a hard candy or ice cube and break off a bracket or snap a wire.
An example of a hulled food is popcorn. The tiny, popped hulls in popcorn get trapped in braces and can get stuck in your gums. Inflammation, irritation, and even infection can cause problems with moving your teeth into position. You could also bite down on an unpopped kernel and damage your braces that way.
Damaging Braces by Eating These Foods Negatively Impacts Treatment
Not listening to the instructions of your orthodontist and choosing to eat these foods anyway may result in a negative impact on your treatment plan. Damage to your brackets or wires results in additional charges added to your bill. It also results in injury to your cheeks, gums, and teeth.
If damage to your orthodontia occurs over a weekend or when you are far away from your orthodontist, you may spend several days without your braces doing their job. When that happens, the orthodontist may have to start treatment all over again because the teeth have reverted back to a position.
Jarosz and Valente Orthodontics want to help you avoid these costly mistakes and get the most out of your orthodontic treatment plan. Schedule your first appointment today!