People think wearing orthodontic braces could change your lifestyle because brackets and archwires seem so complicated. But traditional braces pretty much work without relying too much on the patient. This is true for all orthodontic appliances, including Invisalign clear aligners, which you should wear for most of your day.

In the case of traditional metal braces, they sit in your mouth and straighten your teeth while you live your life. However, patient compliance will always be paramount in any treatment plan.

Chewing, talking, and everything you do that requires using your mouth will remain the same, with or without braces. Avoiding certain foods and textures does not have to mean avoiding delicious recipes or your favorite dishes. As a patient with orthodontic braces, you can eat almost anything you want.

To let your metal or ceramic braces do their job, you have to be careful with hard or sticky foods and sugary foods, of course. Chewing these types of edibles could result in a loose bracket or a loose-poking wire.

When you do your duty as an orthodontic patient, your treatment goes much faster and easier. Patient compliance is something you do for yourself, not for your doctor.

Diet Restrictions During Braces

When you lose a bracket, your orthodontist will fix it on the next visit you have without any trouble. But when you have one or more loose brackets or archwires, your treatment plan is not advancing as it should. As a matter of fact, your teeth can move back to the position they had before.

You could even suffer an orthodontic emergency due to not complying with the dietary restrictions. Aspirating a bracket or hurting your mouth (lips and gums) are likely.

If you have trouble distinguishing which foods are safe to eat with braces and which aren’t, your orthodontist can guide you in this matter.

Let’s stop focusing on what you can’t eat for a moment, and let’s talk about all the types of foods (delicious foods!) you can have while wearing orthodontic appliances.

What Foods to Eat During Braces?

Now, a list of foods you can have.

Eggs are your friends. They are so versatile —You can eat them poached or hard-boiled. Scrambled eggs have a perfect texture for you to eat when you are feeling sore gums or teeth.

Rice and pasta can be a part of your diet in so many forms. Mashed and boiled veggies are a fantastic option as well. It may sound boring, but you can create yummy recipes with all of this.

Soups sit next to the eggs in the room of food best friends you’ll have. And vegetable creams.

We recommend healthy recipes though you can have other types of treats too. Fried chicken and cheeseburgers can be part of your diet occasionally. Always boneless chicken or meat in general. And if you have the cheeseburger, just be sure to thoroughly clean your teeth after.

If you love fruits like peaches or apples that are hard, you can still eat them; the only thing you need to do is cut them into slices.

What Foods to Avoid During Orthodontic Treatment?

Now, back to the dietary instructions you need to follow.

• Toffee or chewy candy.
• Hard candy.
• Corncobs.
• Mango, peach, apple, pear, and the like (slice them!).
• Meats on the bone.
• Gummies or bubblegum.
• Nuts, seeds, and crunchy foods in general.

These food restrictions are not random. If you bite a corncob with braces, the most likely outcome is you will break an archwire or bracket. In this case, you need the front of your teeth to bite hard things, meaning that your brackets will be the ones receiving the force.

Healthy Recipes You Can Eat During Orthodontic Treatment With Braces

If what you need is inspiration and ideas to prepare both braces-friendly and delicious soft foods, you are reading the right article. Here are some yummy recipes and ingredients to add to your diet.

You can prepare a fantastic tuna or chicken salad (without uncooked vegetables) with a base of your favorite green leaves, burrata cheese, and smashed or sliced avocado.

To change things a little at breakfast, you can prepare a nutritious mix with natural Greek yogurt. In a bowl, add the amount of yogurt you want, unsweetened peanut or almond butter (not the chunky type!), your favorite jam, and some fruits in slices. Tasty!

For cheese lovers, pasta Quattro Formaggi is heaven for braces patients. While you cook the pasta, melt butter in a pan and add the four different kinds of cheese you want to use. In this recipe, they use gorgonzola, emmentalher, parmesan, and tilter. Quick and yummy.

Mashed potatoes and ground beef are great ingredients for recipes when you are under orthodontic treatment in Lafayette. This makes soft baked potato with bolognese an excellent option.

Orthodontic Braces Treatment Lafayette

Balhoff Orthodontics is the best option to receive dental care in the city of Lafayette. With Dr. Balhoff supervising your treatment plan, you can correct issues in your smile, from crowded teeth to orthognathic surgery and corrective jaw surgery in Lafayette.

The list of treatments in this dental home is long and updated with the newest technologies in the field. Family orthodontics is the focus.

• Invisalign treatment for teens and Invisalign for adults.
• Early braces treatment along with early orthodontics.

The Lafayette orthodontic office is prepared to correct your teeth near your home.