Braces and Your Diet

Braces and Your Diet

Most patients understand that braces will often require some changes to your diet. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be living on a bland diet that you can drink through a straw, though. Your options still remain wide open, but there are a few things that you’ll want to consider.

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Fruits – Apples and other hard fruits can get stuck or damage your braces. For this reason, orthodontists suggest that you focus on the softer fruits. This includes peaches, strawberries, or blueberries. This also doesn’t mean that you can’t have apples, but cutting them first helps aid in the care and maintenance of your braces.

Vegetables – Again, avoid the hard vegetables and focus on soft choices. Raw carrots, cauliflower or broccoli, can create issues with your braces, but if you steam those same foods, they can be great options. You can also consume leafy greens and other soft vegetables.

Dairy – This food category typically stays on the list for most of our patients, and you won’t have many restrictions. There are some cheese types that can get stuck in your braces. If you aren’t sure, ask our staff, and we can help you make the right decisions. Milk and yogurt are just fine for your braces.

Meats – Stringy or tough meats can cause some issues with your braces. Rather than chew large chunks of tough meat that can damage your braces, you can cut pieces into smaller, bite-sized portions, or choose more tender cuts. In addition, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t eat meat that is still on the bone.

Candy – There aren’t many dentists that will recommend sugars or candy, even when you don’t have braces. However, sticky and sweet foods can be especially problematic when patients have braces, so these should be avoided as often as possible.
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