When you align your smile with braces, there are many things you need to keep in mind in order to have a successful orthodontic journey. One of those things is how to eat a proper diet that is friendly to your appliances. Unfortunately, there are certain foods that can damage your braces and prolong your treatment. So, please do your best to eat the best diet possible. Dr. Christopher Liang has some helpful tips to help you do so.
Tip No. 1: Avoid eating hard and sticky foods because the pressure involved can peel the brackets off of your teeth and even damage the wires. The sticky foods can also cling to the teeth and promote tooth decay. The foods we recommend avoiding include pizza crust, nuts, popcorn, caramel, Skittles, Starbursts, toffee, gummy bears, corn chips, ice cubes, and other hard and sticky foods.
Tip No. 2: Simplify chewing. This means you should cut larger foods into small pieces, pop them into your mouth, and chew them with your back teeth. This helps you avoid the harm involved in biting into hard foods. Some examples of the foods you should cut up include apples, carrots, chicken wings, spare ribs, corn on the cob, pizza, and pears.
Do you have questions about how to have a proper diet when you have braces? If so, please call Liang Orthodontics in Washington, DC, today at 202-966-7711, and talk to a member of our orthodontic team! We will be happy to talk with you and give you the answers you need so you can keep your braces in tip-top shape.