Congratulations on your new braces! You are now on the journey to the smile of your dreams. It is normal for your teeth to be a little sore the first week with your new braces. When you are wearing braces, it is important to avoid certain foods that can damage your orthodontic appliances, brackets, and wires, which may cause delays in treatment. You may need to make some adjustments to the way you eat your favorite foods, but the end result WILL be worth it! You’ll be surprised at how many of your favorite foods you can still enjoy! What should you eat with braces? Here’s what you need to know!
List Of Foods You Can’t Eat With Braces And What You Can!
What CAN You Eat With Braces
- Ice Cream (no nuts)
- Potato Chips
- Steamed Vegetables
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- French Fries
- Soft Pretzels
- Yogurt
- Pudding
- Jello
- Soup
- Sandwiches, Subs
- Cereal in Milk
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Milkshakes
- Smoothies
- Peanut Butter (non-crunchy)
- Sugar-Free Chewing Gum
Foods to Be Careful While Eating with Braces
- Nacho Chips
- Popcorn
- Hard Bread/Bagels
- Ribs
- Chicken Wings
- Raw Vegetables
- Hard Fruit (i.e. apples)
- Fruit with Pits (i.e. peaches)
- Corn on the Cob
- Crusty Bread
- Granola Bars
- Foods high in sugar: don’t eat often and brush soon after.
What Can You NOT Eat With Braces
- Nuts
- Hard Pretzels
- Beef Jerky
- Pizza Crust
- Croutons
- Suckers
- Hard Candies
- Gummy Bears
- Caramels
- Taffy
- Bubble Gum
- Jelly Beans
- Licorice
- Skittles
- Starburst
- Peanut/Pretzel M&Ms
- Tootsie Rolls
- Soft drinks and other sugary drinks (see drinks to avoid with braces)
- Pens and Pencils (don’t chew on these)
Here is a Printable You Can Put on Your Fridge
What To Eat With Braces The First Week
“My braces hurt so bad I can’t eat!” It is normal for your teeth to be a little sore the first week with your new braces. The first week with braces can be tricky for eating because you will have a bit of tenderness. Your teeth are just starting their journey of moving into their proper place. As that begins, your mouth must get used to the brackets and wires and having your teeth shift bit by bit. What can you eat with braces during the first week? There are lots of options!
The team at Smith & Davis Orthodontics has a few recommendations for you. Start your treatment with braces by eating soft foods like mashed potatoes, yogurt, bananas, mac and cheese, and pancakes. Not bad, right? After the first week, the soreness should go away, and you’ll be ready to eat normally.
Here are some foods to eat the first week:
How To Eat With Braces
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- Can you eat tacos with braces? — Who doesn’t look forward to Taco Tuesdays? Hard tacos aren’t a good idea with braces, so just go soft! Soft tacos are just fine to eat.
- Can you eat cereal with braces – Make sure there’s milk with your cereal so it softens it up! Dry cereal is too crunchy.
- Can you eat donuts with braces – For sure!
- Can you eat bagels with braces – Make sure they’re soft. Crunchy bagels come with the risk of breaking your braces, so be cautious.
- Can I eat bread with braces – Soft bread, yes. Hard bread like sourdough’s outside crunch needs to be treated with caution.
- Can I eat chips with braces – Some, yes! Pringles, ‘baked’ chips (not kettle), and Cheeto puffs/fries are all good options, thin chips like Lays.
- Can you eat Takis with braces? – Unfortunately, not. TOO crunchy
- Can you eat Doritos with braces? – Exercise A LOT of caution
- Can you eat Cheez-Its with braces? – Exercise A LOT of caution
- Can you eat crackers with braces? – Exercise caution
- Can you eat Hot Cheetos with braces? – Exercise A LOT of caution
- Can you have popcorn with braces? – Exercise caution
- Can you eat steak with braces: — Meat-like steak and pork may be a little tough, but cutting them into small bites will make it easier to chew them with fewer chances of damaging your braces. You can also shred the meat to eat. So grab that barbecue sauce and pull some pork or brisket!
- Can you eat burgers with braces? – Yes!
- Can you eat chicken with braces? – Yes (off the bone, or be cautious when eating it)
- Can you eat fish with braces? – Totally fine. Fish is generally a soft protein option.
- can you eat bacon with braces? – Some people like their bacon crunchy, so just be careful when eating it
- Can you eat apples with braces: You can’t front bite an apple-like, you’re used to, but you can cut an apple into thin slices and eat those. You can even make your own homemade applesauce!
- Can you eat carrots with braces? – Like apples, carrots are too hard to bite from the front because you can damage your braces. Instead, try slicing them and cooking them in a little butter and water until they’re nearly tender, then add a teaspoon of honey or molasses and cook until tender!
- Can you eat grapes with braces? – Yup! Just no frozen grapes!
- Can you eat corn with braces? — Avoid corn on the cob with braces because you can loosen a bracket when you hit the cob. So just cut it off the cob, and you’re good to go!
- Can You Eat Ice Cream With Braces – Yes! Just be careful with add-ins because what might be okay for you at room temperature will harden in the cold ice cream.
- Can you eat peanut butter with braces – Creamy- yes, crunchy – no
- Can you eat fries with braces – For sure!
- Can you eat rice with braces – Yes!
Questions About Eating with Braces? Ask Us!
Following the above tips when you eat with braces will help ensure your treatment goes smoothly and successfully. If you have any questions, please ask any of our team members.
You can eat a lot with braces! They aren’t as restricted as you may think. If you do have concerns visit your orthodontist in Rogers, AR. Smith & Davis Orthodontics will provide you with all the answers!
You can schedule an appointment with us. You’ll definitely want to do that if you have any problems with your braces, too. The longer you go with a loose bracket or broken wire, the more we may have to repair. If you have any other questions or concerns, contact us. The Smith & Davis Orthodontics team will be with you every step of the way on your journey to a beautiful new smile!
