There are numerous reasons why kids have to get braces. They may need the extra help while their teeth grow in or require stabilization while their growing wisdom teeth shift everything around. 
Your kids will enjoy a week of soft foods like mashed potatoes and creamy soups after getting their braces, but don’t go back to serving these eight things to your kiddos even after the pain subsides. Plaque builds up easily on the braces, if you notice some build-up of tartar, we recommend the scaling services by a dentist in greenbelt.
These foods could pose a threat to your child’s braces in a few different ways. Check out why they’re not good for anyone with braces so you can make informed decisions while planning your family’s weekly meals.
1. Meat on the Bone
Ribs and chicken wings are delicious, but they’re not always great for people with braces. The stringy meat gets caught up in the wiring while the bones bump against the brackets. Carve the meat off the bone so everyone can enjoy their favorite summer meals safely.
2. Highly Acidic Fruits
Dental cement or glue keeps the brackets in place for the duration of your child’s experience with fastbraces. Acidic fruits like oranges will wear that glue down and potentially make the brackets pop off as the bond weakens. Avoid serving acidic fruits to your kids while they have braces. You’ll prevent expensive repairs and save their tooth enamel from demineralizing with each snack.
3. Chewy Rustic Bread
Most foods will get stuck inside your child’s braces, but their toothbrush should gently remove it all after their meals. Rustic breads like sourdough or ciabatta will stick to braces and cause buildup that’s much more difficult to remove. Your child may accidentally pop their brackets off while digging the chewy bread out from under their wiring, so it’s best to avoid this kind of bread while they have their braces.
4. Corn on the Cob
Whole corn kernels aren’t small enough to squeeze between brackets and cause damage, but eating it off the cob is different. The cob is another hard food that pushes against the bracket glue while the pressure of tearing the corn off will shove kernels under the wiring. Shave it off with a knife to prevent possible damage.
5. Sticky or Hard Candy
Your orthodontist will likely tell you to avoid giving your kids sticky candy like taffy, but soft candies like Tootsie Rolls and gummy bears also pose a significant risk. Hard candy is a better alternative for a sugar fix, but don’t let your kids crunch down on them. They should suck on the hard candies instead so nothing crunches down against the brackets.
6. Whole Crunchy Vegetables
Hard vegetables like raw carrots and broccoli can do the same damage as hard candy. They’ll cause brackets to pop off and wiring to become unstuck. If your child has a permanent retainer for one half of their mouth and braces for the other, the permanent retainer could spring loose from the cement by chewing on whole vegetables.
The safest route to ensure a balanced diet is to cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces or steam them before plating anything. Steaming is the safest option because your kids don’t have to chew as hard to swallow them.
7. Hard Packaged Cookies
While you’re grocery shopping, skip the lunch kits and snack packs with hard cookies. They’re another dense food that puts harmful pressure on braces. Opt for soft cookies instead to keep your child’s braces safe from breakage. They may still need to use a water pik or toothbrush after lunch to clean away what sticks underneath the wiring, but the soft sweets will be gentler on their braces and make them last longer.
8. Whole or Crushed Ice
Eating ice is a bad habit that starts with good intentions. Your kids may snack on it to stay hydrated or avoid sugary alternatives, but it’s dangerous for their dental health. Whole or crushed ice could easily destroy their braces by breaking the glue apart or snapping the wires.
Eating ice also chips away at your teeth, resulting in costly repairs at your dentist’s office. Monitor your kids to ensure that they don’t eat ice by getting a cup from the fridge or eating it out of an empty soda cup. If they need a cold treat, make snow cones instead.
Snow cone machines grind ice into finely shaved pieces that melt quickly with each bite. They’ll still need to brush their teeth to get rid of the sugary syrup that could erode their enamel, but the shaved ice will help curb their cravings for their typical icy snack.
Avoid Serving These Foods
If your family is new to braces, there’s nothing to worry about. Avoid serving these eight things to your kiddos and you’ll get used to looking out for dental dangers. Foods that are sticky, acidic, dense or chewy will catch your eye as your family gets used to living with braces.
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- New to Braces? Don’t Serve These 8 Things to Your Kiddos
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