Orthodontics and Your Diet: What to Eat (and Avoid) for Healthy Teeth

Tips to nourish your smile

The food you eat can have an enormous impact on your teeth, even if you brush and floss regularly. Everyone should be cautious about what they eat because we all deserve healthy teeth and gums, but anyone undergoing orthodontic treatment needs to be even more careful. After all, when you’re investing time and money into braces or Invisalign, you’ll want to take the best possible care of your teeth along the way.

Keeping track of all the rules for eating well while you have braces or Invisalign can be confusing, but don’t worry. We’re here to help! See below for a brief and handy guide to what you should eat (and what you should avoid) while undergoing orthodontic treatment!

Your Diet & Braces

When you get braces, the process involves brackets being placed on your teeth and connected with wires. What you eat when you have braces can have a massive impact on your treatment.

Foods OK to Eat with Braces:

• Soft Fruits and Vegetables: Opt for soft fruits like bananas, berries, and melons, as well as cooked vegetables such as steamed carrots, squash, and spinach. These options are gentle on your braces and provide essential vitamins and minerals for overall oral health.
• Dairy Products: Dairy products like yogurt, cheese, and milk are excellent choices for individuals with braces. Not only are they soft and easy to consume, but they also contain calcium and phosphorus, which strengthen tooth enamel and promote remineralization.
• Lean Proteins: Incorporate lean protein sources like fish, chicken, tofu, and legumes into your diet. These foods are rich in nutrients essential for tissue repair and muscle maintenance, supporting the overall health of your gums and oral tissues.
• Soft Grains: Choose soft grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, and rice over crunchy or hard alternatives. These options are less likely to get lodged in your braces and are easier to chew, reducing the risk of damage to your orthodontic appliances.
• Smoothies and Soups: Smoothies made with soft fruits and vegetables, along with soups that are free of chunky ingredients, are convenient options that provide nourishment without posing a risk to your braces. Plus, they’re easy to customize according to your taste preferences and nutritional needs.

Foods to Avoid with Braces:

• Sticky and Chewy Foods: Steer clear of sticky candies, caramels, taffy, and chewing gum, as these can easily get stuck in your braces, leading to discomfort and potentially causing damage.
• Hard Foods: Avoid hard foods like nuts, popcorn, hard candies, and ice cubes, as they can exert excessive force on your braces, leading to brackets coming loose or wires bending.
• Crunchy Fruits and Vegetables: While fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet, crunchy options like apples, carrots, and celery should be consumed with caution or prepared in a softer form to avoid damaging your braces.
• Tough Meats: Tough cuts of meat, such as steak and pork chops, can be challenging to chew and may require excessive force, increasing the risk of damage to your braces. Opt for tender cuts or choose alternative protein sources.
• Sugary and Acidic Foods: Minimize your consumption of sugary and acidic foods and beverages, such as soda, sports drinks, and citrus fruits, as they can contribute to tooth decay and enamel erosion, particularly during orthodontic treatment when oral hygiene may be more challenging to maintain.

Your Diet & Invisalign

Invisalign involves a series of clear, discreet aligners that slowly move your teeth into the desired positions. One of the benefits of Invisalign is that you don’t have to be quite so strict with your diet; you can remove your aligners while you eat and put them back in once you’re finished with your meal. However, some of the same rules apply for all orthodontic treatments.

Foods to Avoid During Invisalign Treatment:

• Sticky and Chewy Foods: Avoid sticky candies, caramels, and chewing gum.
• Sugary and Acidic Foods: Minimize your intake of sugary and acidic foods and beverages to prevent tooth decay and enamel erosion.

Remember to remove your aligners before consuming anything other than water, and brush your teeth before putting them back in to maintain optimal oral hygiene. And don’t forget to clean your Invisalign trays at least once a day!

At Adirondack Orthodontics, we want to help you make the most of your orthodontic treatment by equipping you with the knowledge to take care of your teeth! If you have any questions about what you can and can’t eat, just ask.

Serving Albany, Clifton Park, East Greenbush, Glens Falls, Latham, and Schenectady, New York, schedule your free consultation today to discover which orthodontic treatment option is right for you.