It’s like joining a secret group when you get Dental Braces. The tightening session is initiation, the gleaming brackets are the badge of honor, and then there are the enigmatic rules that no one reveals until it’s too late. The first rule is that food is either an ally or an adversary and is no longer just food. Additionally, adversaries might appear as simple snacks like popcorn, caramel, or even that chewy bagel you assumed was innocuous.
Let’s now discuss the 10 meals you should discreetly avoid when wearing braces. Consider it the definitive list of things not to eat, but with less repercussions than eating food from the ground.
1. Pizza
Pizza that’s soft? Excellent. However, that crispy bottom crust? Completely problematic. It is chewy, thick, and infamous for unexpectedly loosening brackets. Yes, save the crust for your buddies who don’t have braces and enjoy the gooey center.
2. Corn On The Cob
Corn is delicious, unless you attempt to eat it straight from the cob. Just that movement has the power to pop brackets and bend wires more quickly than you can say “pass the butter.” Simply remove the kernels off the cob first if you’re wanting it. Your braces will appreciate it.
3. Nuts
Nutritious foods include peanuts, walnuts, and almonds—until they clash with your orthodontic gear. It’s never a good indication when you chew them because it feels like you’re chewing gravel. Try nut butters instead of entire nuts; they’re creamy, smooth, and far less prone to revolt in your tongue.
4. Chewy Bagels
In addition to being tasty, bagels are chewy enough to make your braces feel like they’re fighting back and forth. You run the danger of bending a wire or loosening a bracket with each bite. Instead of acting like your jaw is a hydraulic press, rip it into little pieces if you must have one.
5. Hard Pretzels
Since pretzels are just tanned bread, they appear innocuous. But they are like little tooth weapons after they are cooked to that rock-solid crunch. Your brackets might break with one forceful bite, depriving you of snack pleasure and forcing you to make an urgent orthodontic visit.
6. Ice
Chewing ice is like giving your braces a stress test they didn’t ask for. You might think it’s just frozen water, but orthodontists see it as one of the top culprits for broken brackets. Drink your water, but don’t snack on it, okay?
7. Sticky Candy
Gummy bears, caramel, and taffy might as well be labeled with a warning: “Guaranteed to destroy metalwork.” Like clinging ex-partners, these sticky snacks cling to wires and won’t let go. Your dentist won’t be happy to clean up the sugar party they leave behind, in addition to pulling on your braces.
8. Chips
Potato chips are cunning. Despite their apparent softness, they shatter into tiny, pointed pieces that snag on the tightest bracing edges. Suddenly, using a toothbrush and floss during your food break becomes an archeological investigation.
9. Popcorn
Despite its innocent, fluffy, and enjoyable appearance, popcorn is actually a rebel with a purpose. Nothing pleases those hard kernels more than slinking between your brackets and wreaking havoc. Your braces will suddenly ask for forgiveness if you bite into one of the incorrect pieces. Once your orthodontist gives you the all-clear to live without braces, save the popcorn for movie nights.
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