Dental braces are a device that lines the teeth, making the teeth straight. It cannot straighten teeth if the braces are damaged, however. Eating hard or chunky foods is one way braces break or loosen. Sticking to soft, non-chunky foods can prevent damage to the braces and teeth.
Dairy
Eat soft, easy-to-chew dairy products such as smooth, non-chunky yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, custard and pudding. Soft cheeses, such as brie or cheddar, can also be safely eaten. Avoid dairy products that have nuts or chunky, hard-to-chew parts.
Bread and Grains
Soft, smooth bread products are ideal for people with dental braces. Do not eat bread with seeds, nuts or hard grains. Muffins are also safe as long as they do not contain any nuts or hard chunks. Other baked goods such as corn bread and pancakes are soft enough to chew. Steamed or microwaved tortillas are also easy to chew. Avoid bagels and hard rolls.
Many grains are recommended for people with dental braces. These grains include couscous, quinoa, cooked pasta or noodles, cooked farro wheat, polenta, matzo balls, grits and risotto.
Meat and Seafood
Soft, easy-to-chew meat is safe to eat. Types of meat include cooked, soft chicken, thin slices of lunch meat, meatballs, stewed meats, meatloaf and soft barbecued meat. Remove any skin from the meat--the skin can stick to teeth. Do not eat any hard or dried meats, such as beef jerky.
Most seafood products are safe to eat. Ideal seafood products include cooked, soft fish, salmon, tuna, fish loaf, fish salad, fish fillets, crab cakes and non-crunchy fish sticks.
Vegetables
Steamed or cooked vegetables are safe--raw or hard vegetables are not. Archwired.com recommends eating soft foods such as squash, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, spinach souffle, steamed and chopped dark leafy vegetables, avocados, salsa, beans and hummus. Cook all vegetables before eating to soften them. Do not eat corn on the cob. Instead, remove the kernels from the cob and cook it so it is soft enough to eat.
Fruits
Soft, easy-to-chew fruits such as mashed bananas, applesauce or baked apples are safe to eat. Raw or hard fruits should be avoided because they can damage the braces. Focus on soft, pureed or cooked fruits. Juices, free of chunks, are also safe to drink.
Treats
Soft or liquid treats are also safe, but limit their intake--sugary foods cause tooth decay. Ice cream free of chunks or nuts, milkshakes, smoothies, non-frozen cheesecake, gelatin and cream pies are safe to eat sparingly. Do not eat hard treats such as hard candy, popcorn, taffy and hard cookies.
Bone and Teeth Health
WhyBraces.com also recommends eating foods rich in vitamin C, magnesium and calcium, as they increase teeth and bone health. Consume these nutrients through cooked or soft dairy products, leafy greens, citrus fruits, whole grain products and lentils.
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