The day you get braces on your teeth can be an exciting day for most people, but it is also the day when a person's diet will have to change. With braces, you will still be able to eat a lot of things; however, you will need to avoid a lot of foods too. Here is an explanation of why you must change your diet with braces and what it may involve.
Why you must change your diet
Braces contain several parts that are attached to your teeth; however, they can come loose from time to time. If they come loose, you must go back to the orthodontist to have them fixed, but you might be able to prevent this from happening simply by avoiding the wrong foods. The foods you eat are the primary cause of brackets coming off, and the other thing that can cause this is using your teeth the wrong ways. For example, you should not use your teeth to open up packages. The force you use to do this might be strong enough to make the brackets come loose.
What you should avoid eating with braces
During the first few days after getting your braces on, you should expect your teeth to feel sore. Because of this, you should limit yourself to eating soft foods only. After the initial pain wears off, you can resume eating most foods you ate prior to getting braces; however, you should avoid eating certain things. Some of the foods you should avoid include whole apples, potato chips, popcorn, hard meat, raw vegetables, and nuts. You should also avoid sticky candies and gum.
You can still eat vegetables and fruits, though, and you should, but you should make sure you cut the pieces up so they are small. For example, instead of eating a whole apple, cut the apple into bite-size pieces and eat it that way instead. You could also eat vegetables if you cook them so that they are soft. Your orthodontist will give you a list of all foods you can eat and those that you should not eat, and you should try to follow these lists.
If you want to have straighter teeth, getting braces is the best solution. While this may require changing what you eat, the changes will only be temporary. You can learn more about braces by contacting an orthodontist clinic in your city, such as Orthodontic Smilemaker.
