To be honest- u can pretty much eat anything!! The orthodontics will tell you that you can't eat this or that and don't drink fizzy drinks etc. You will learn how to eat what you want instead of cutting it out of you diet while you're in braces mode. Here's a list in my own opinion on how to deal with:
- Hard fruit; Apples, Pears, Plums etc- don't eat from whole using your front teeth as this can make the brackets come off. Instead, just cut it up into small pieces and use your back teeth to chew. Or try eating softer fruits like Bananas, Oranges, soft Peaches etc...Better yet- invest in a smoothie blender!!
- Food; Chicken wings, BBQ Ribs, KFC etc- eating from the bone can break the bracket off so just shred the meat before chewing with back teeth. Other foods such as Raw Carrots, Corn on Cob, Nuts, Popcorn, Bagels must be avoided. These food are too hard on the braces and braces are fragile and can easily be broken off.
- Crunchy chocolates; Malteasers, Crunchie bar etc- just suck on it instead of chewing it. Avoid chocolate bars like Snickers, Mars bars or anything with toffee or caramel as this is very sticky and when chewing it, it might pull the brackets off. Opt for plain chocolates, breaking into small pieces. Brush teeth after as you don't want sticky substances hanging around your braces.
- Fizzy/ Soda drinks; Coke, Pepsi, Red Lemonade etc- while it is advised not to drink these, you can if you wish. But make sure to use a straw. It is said that these dark soda drinks can stain teeth but just brush afterwards. Opt for fruit juices or dilutable drinks like Ribena or squashes where you can just add water. If you need your sugar fix then 7up/ Sprite or any light colored drinks are ok but rinse with mouthwash after.
- Chewing gum/ sticky sweets- chewing gum can just stuck to braces and it goes all over the place unless you are very careful chewing with the surface of your back teeth but I'd avoid chewing gum all together. Opt for mint instead. Sticky sweets like those 10c bars are a definate no-no! Super sticky and can cause wires to bend extending your treatment time and can cause cavities!!
The first day after having the braces fitted in, I had Carrot and Coriander soup and I remember the tiny carrot pieces getting stuck in between my braces. It didn't look great. Haha! My first proper meal on the 3rd day took over 30mins.
Just remember to brush after each meal. I usually brush up to 4 times a day. During meal times I would eat what I like and get my coffee/ fizzy drink fix then brush my teeth. I'd wait til the next meal time as I'm not keen on brushing my teeth more than 4 times in a day. If you are drinking fizzy drinks and don't want to brush then rinse with a non alcoholic mouth rinse.
I have a routine for when brushing and flossing my teeth at night as I like to go to bed with fresh breath knowing there is nothing stuck in between my teeth or feeding bacteria.
First I'd rinse my mouth with water to get any tiny food that's been stuck in the braces. Then the usual 2 minute brushing with toothpaste, over the brackets, under the brackets and on the surface of the brackets. Rinse mouth with water then I'd floss with a dental floss. The back teeth are the hardest to get with the floss so I use the small dental brushes to get in around the braces then I'd brush again for a minute and rinse with non alcoholic mouthwash. Its important to clean the tongue too!
It may sound like a long routine. At first it took me 30mins or so, it was a total nightmare but now it just takes 10-15mins.
