What to Eat When You First Get Braces?

Getting braces? Soft foods don’t need to be boring. We’re here to help with braces-friendly food tips that will keep you inspired. You may even find a new favourite along the way!

You may be wondering why exactly diet modifications are needed at all.  Well, firstly, when you first get braces, or even after a significant adjustment, your mouth may feel a little tender and sore. Soft foods that are easy to chew are your best options during these early days. While these foods can help to keep any discomfort to a minimum, they can also protect the brackets and keep your teeth on track to a straight and beautiful smile.

Here are just some of the soft foods you can experiment with to keep your tummy full whilst saving your teeth from doing too much chewing.

• Mashed potatoes – mashed up boiled potatoes with sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper. You could even add boiled and mashed up carrots, parsnips or cauliflower for additional flavor.

• Pizza soup – if you crave pizza, you could try a tomato and basil soup

• Applesauce – you can add some fun to canned applesauce with a little cinnamon and custard, or even make your own for a filling treat.

• Smoothies – there are plenty of smoothie recipes out there and they are a great option for getting all your nutrients in liquid form.

• Yoghurt – yoghurt is smooth, creamy, and delicious. You can buy some or even make your own.

• Baby food – a jar of pureed peaches is delicious, no matter what age you are.

• Popsicles – refreshing popsicles can help to soothe achy teeth. You can puree fruit and pour it into moulds before sticking it in the freezer for a couple of hours.

• Scrambled eggs – scrambled eggs are packed full of protein to satisfy your appetite.

• Roasted veggies –veggies like pumpkin taste amazing when roasted and mashed. You can mix with salt, pepper, and butter.

• Bone broth – if you’re sick of sweet foods, make a mug of meaty bone broth to hit the spot.

You will find that your braces will become much comfortable as you become accustomed to them. Once this has happened, whilst you can eat most of your favourite foods as normal, it is still important to avoid very hard or very sticky foods in order to avoid damaging the braces.

Eating very hard foods, like peanuts or pizza crusts can bend and break the braces, as can biting into crunchy foods. It is important to keep eating a wide variety of foods, including healthy fruit and veggies (like apples and carrots), however it is important to cut these up first and chew them on the back teeth only. Very sticky foods with low nutritional value (like caramels and toffees) should be avoided. You can learn more in our related post on foods to avoid whilst wearing braces.

Should you have any questions, contact Fine Orthodontist Sydney for personalised advice.

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