With the holiday season upon us once again, it is tempting to eat everything in sight! If you have braces, however, it is important to maintain your dedication to only eating foods that won’t negatively impact your braces.
Here are some seasonal foods that you should avoid if you have braces:
- Roasted seasonal nuts, such as pecans, peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts and more. If you bite into something hard like this, it could end up popping off one of your brackets.
- Sticky sweets: the holidays are often a time to indulge in fudge, caramels, toffees and other sweet treats. Make sure to avoid these foods if you have braces to make sure they don’t get stuck and end up pulling off a bracket or damaging a wire.
- Popcorn: Decadent popcorn is a popular gift to give during the holiday season. The small kernels can get stuck in your teeth and become difficult to get out.
Don’t worry, there is plenty of food that our orthodontist in Evanston approves for those who have braces!
Examples of approved food include the following:
- Breads and grains: Feel free to dig into pancakes, muffins, and soft tortillas all while wearing your braces! Plus, dairy is okay too, so you can eat all of the cheese and crackers you want!
- Meats, poultry, and seafood are all excellent choices. Dig into your favorite meatballs, chicken sandwich or fish fry!
- Fruits and vegetables: try to stick to fruits and vegetables with a softer texture, such as bananas, mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans, applesauce, berries, etc.
- Treats: You can still enjoy many treats while having braces! Indulge in ice cream, soft cake, soft cookies, milkshakes, Jell-O and more!
Contact our Orthodontist in Evanston for more information about foods you should and should not eat this holiday season!