The holidays can be rough for orthodontics patients. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things you should avoid eating. It’s tempting to bend (or break) the rules, but it is NOT worth the damage to your brackets and wires. Broken braces are not a good addition to a holiday get-together. To avoid this, be sure to be aware of the foods you are supposed to avoid.
Pecan Pie: Everything about pecan pie is a bad idea for your braces. Sticky caramel, nut pieces, starchy crust. All of these things can get caught in or even break your brackets and wires. Stick with fruit, custard, or cream pies for the season.
Caramel Apple Pie: One notable exception to the fruit pie rule is caramel-apple pie. Caramel in general is a bad plan for braces. Stick with a regular, soft apple pie with cinnamon-sugar and you should do great!
Caramels: As we said, caramel is bad news for braces. The sticky caramel gets stuck between wires and teeth, is hard to clean, and can even break brackets! Try some soft chocolate instead.
Nuts and nut pieces: Avoid nut pieces through the holidays. They can damage your braces and get stuck in your teeth. Instead, try using nut extracts in cakes and cookies, to get the nutty flavor without the damage to your braces.
Whole apples: Whole apples are a bad idea. Try thinly sliced apples for a sweet crunch without the bracket damage.
For more information, call James V. Karhohs, DDS, MS, PC in Grand Rapids, Michigan at 616-784-4300. Dr. James Karhohs and our team would love to help you have a braces-healthy holiday!
