If one or more of your children recently got braces, you have made a step toward giving them a beautiful, healthy smile for life. You may be feeling a little overwhelmed with how to care for their teeth now that they are wearing braces. By remembering to still have them thoroughly brush and floss twice a day, plus avoid certain foods, you can help them make wearing teeth straighteners as easy as possible. There are several types of foods that you will want to steer clear of when feeding your children now.
Sticky and Chewy Foods
You do not want things getting stuck in your child’s brackets and wires. This can cause damage to them, plus be uncomfortable for your children. Some examples of sticky foods would be gum, caramel, and many other forms of candy. Chewy foods often get stuck as well. Examples of chewy foods to avoid would be hard licorice, overcooked meat, and bagels or other thick bread.
Crunchy and Hard Foods
Crunchy foods can really do some damage to your children’s braces. Skipping crunchy foods can help you to avoid extra trips to the orthodontist’s chair. Crunchy foods would include popcorn and most chips. Hard foods, like nuts and pretzels, present a similar risk to your child’s brackets and wires and should be avoided.
If your child has nervous habits such as biting their nails or chewing on pens and pencils, you will need to try to break them of it ASAP. Chewing on these hard things can also easily damage their braces. Any of these things can cause a bracket to become loose from a tooth (or teeth!). This is obviously less effective, making your child require the braces even longer.
Foods Full of Sugar
It is more important than ever to take care of your child’s teeth when they have braces. Foods that are high in sugar should be avoided. If your child does not brush carefully, sugary foods can get stuck in between their braces and teeth, leading to cavities. It is also important to minimize the number of sodas and sugary juices they are drinking.
Smaller Bites
Encourage your children to cut their food into smaller bites. They need to get into the habit of chewing with their back teeth as much as possible. If you would like to learn more about what your children shouldn’t eat when they have braces, contact Unique Orthodontics today! Our knowledgeable staff is here to answer any questions you may have. We are conveniently located in Fresno, Clovis, and Madera, CA.