Avoiding food isn’t something that humans are skilled at. We have a hard enough time with dieting and portion control!
But if you’re considering metal braces, you’ll find there are certain foods to avoid. While metal braces come in all shapes and sizes—ceramic brackets, brightly coloured braces and more—they all have one thing in common: diet restriction.
If you’re debating between clear aligners or the usual route of braces, it’s time to evaluate if you really want to change your eating habits to straighten your teeth.
While Invisalign allows you to eat any foods you wish (simply pop out your clear aligners to eat), metal braces spell trouble for these 5 foods:
#1. Chewy Foods
If you like the texture of chewy foods, this may be a bit hard to swallow. According to Dental Associates, braces mean saying no to chewy and sticky foods. Sticky foods can also damage the resin that secures your bracket to your tooth.
To help you start thinking through the types of foods you’ll need to avoid, here’s a list to get you started:
- Dried, gummy fruits.
- Beef jerky.
- Energy or protein bars.
- Very chewy meat.
#2. Nuts
You’ll find plenty of orthodontic warnings regarding nuts. Even if nuts are one of your favourite snacks, you’ll need to curb your chipmunk habits if you get metal braces. Here are some important facts from Verywell:
- Though you don’t have to avoid nuts completely, you can no longer eat them unfettered. You’ll need caution.
- You can grind your nuts or use peanut or almond butter.
- Nuts can bend the wires of braces.
If you’re a nut enthusiast and simply can’t give up your favourite food, you do have a better option. With Invisalign, you’ll be able to remove your clear aligners and eat all the nuts you like!
#3. Hard Sweets
According to Verywell, hard sweets are some of the foods you should avoid if you’re wearing braces. Be sure you also consider other things you eat that aren’t exactly hard sweets... but are similar enough to destroy your braces.
Be careful if you chew on a peppermint, cough drop or hard vitamin C supplement. For all purposes, these act like hard sweets. One wrong bite, and you have a serious problem on your hands.
#4. Popcorn
Popcorn, beloved by many, is banned by orthodontists. Dental Associates puts popcorn as one of the foods to avoid for brace wearers. While your smile is being straightened, you’ll need to practice the discipline to say no.
Want to hang on to your popcorn bag? With Invisalign, there’s no ‘goodbye’ between you and your favourite snack. On the contrary, you can enjoy your popcorn anytime you please. And after you’re done eating, you’ll be able to easily brush and floss your teeth.
#5. Bagels
Olympus Pointe Orthodontics says that bagels (and pizza crust) fall on its “Ten Biggest Brace Breakers” list. If you are used to eating your daily morning bagel, you may need to find another breakfast ritual.
Once again, clear aligners offer foodies the option they need. With Invisalign, your teeth are available for every delicious bite of bagel.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list of foods to avoid, it does give you an idea of the problems you’ll encounter with metal braces.
If you want to enjoy your food and straighten your teeth, Invisalign is your alternative for restrictive metal braces. Schedule a consultation now to see if Invisalign is right for you.
Find your nearest MiSmile Invisalign provider today, and see how to get a beautiful smile while eating the diet you choose.
