Heart Health: Don't Neglect Dental Care

Have you decided to take a big step to correct your teeth and get braces? If so, you are going to need to be prepared for what it is like to live with braces for a little while. One of the biggest changes that you'll need to adjust to is the foods that you can eat with your braces on. Here are a few tips that will help you with eating with braces. 

Stick With Soft Foods At First

The initial period after you get your braces will cause your teeth to be the most sensitive, as well as the times immediately after the braces are adjusted. It will be best to stick to soft foods that will be easy to eat without putting pressure on your teeth. Consider having mashed potatoes, soups, and pasta dishes on hand. Of course, you can also have ice cream and fruit smoothies as well for a treat! 

Eat Small Pieces

You may be used to eating bigger pieces of food, but that can be problematic for people who wear braces. Instead, you'll want to cut your food into smaller bite-sized pieces that are much easier to eat. For example, you may normally hold a piece of pizza and bite off a piece of it when eating. You'll want to cut the slice up into smaller pieces so that you do not have a large amount of food in your mouth. 

It may take a while to get used to cutting up pieces of food that you normally consider bite-sized, like chicken nuggets, but it will make it much easier to eat. It will also help to cut food off the bone, such as chicken and ribs, so that the bones do not interfere with your braces. If you want to eat corn on the cob, it will be easier to cut the corn off the cob with a knife so that the pieces don't get caught in your braces. 

Avoid Chewy And Hard Foods

One food that will be a bit problematic to eat is hard food. These foods are often responsible for causing bent wires and broken brackets. Some examples of hard and chewy foods to avoid include bagels, nuts, and beef jerky. In addition, sticky foods and candies can cause a similar problem, so stay away from caramel, chewing gum, and gummy bears. 

Reach out to a local orthodontics clinic, such as Laveen Smiles, if you have more questions about eating with braces.