Invisalign® or Braces: What Foods Can You Eat When Straightening Your Teeth?

When wearing braces, you want to treat them carefully so they can do their job without damaging the wires or brackets by the things you eat. That’s why we give our braces-wearing patients a list of what is safe to consume and what is not.

When you first get your braces, it takes about a week before you can eat comfortably as your teeth adjust to the metal hardware. Most patients stick to soft foods like yogurt, smoothies, soups, mashed potatoes, etc. that don’t need a lot of chewing. After that, the rule of thumb is to avoid any foods that are hard to chew, tough or sticky.

Safe Foods
-Soft dairy: eggs, yogurt and cheese
-Soft bread: biscuits, muffins and thin-crust pizza (no croutons, french bread or hard rolls)
-Cooked grains: pasta, oatmeal and soft crackers (hello, Ritz!)
-Seafood: fish, tuna and crab
-Bite-sized meat: hot dogs, hamburgers, lunch meats and soft cooked chicken or turkey
-Vegetables: mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, salad and beans
-Soft fruit: applesauce, bananas, melons, grapes and berries and cut apples and carrots into tiny pieces
-Treats: jell-O, ice cream, soft chocolate, cake, chips

A Hard NO
Ice, granola, sunflower seeds, meat on the bone, gum of any kind, popcorn, nuts, pretzels, hard candies, Taffy or caramels.

Note: Be aware that sweets and chocolates lead to cavities from plaque, a sugar-loving bacterial film. These should be limited and your teeth cleaned more often after consumption.

Invisalign®
Teens and adults who don’t want traditional metal braces have another option offered by our orthodontic team; the Invisalign® System. These removable, clear braces allow you to eat and drink all your favorite foods without worrying about harming your orthodontic appliance!

To learn more about these innovative braces and find out if you are a good candidate for wearing them, click HERE to see for yourself if Invisalign is for you. Or, call Igel Orthodontics today at (402) 330-1152 to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Kort Igel. We look forward to helping you get the straight teeth you want as comfortably as possible!