Mill Creek, WA
Braces are mainly used to straighten teeth. They also correct issues like overbites, underbites, and gaps between teeth. Braces can greatly enhance your teeth, but it may take a few days or weeks for your mouth to become used to the added pressure. During the first few days, you can also experience some pain or irritability near your teeth and gums. This means you must avoid some foods for your braces to last longer.
Despite advances in technology making braces more durable, it’s still critical to take care not to break them. Certain foods can harm braces, including the brackets, wires, and rubber bands. In general, stay away from anything sticky, chewy, or hard. The best meals to eat while wearing braces are soft ones since they are less harsh on the braces’ hardware. While wearing braces, avoid consuming too many sugary meals and beverages. When sugar and saliva combine, a sticky film (plaque) covers the teeth. Plaque can be removed by brushing, although doing so is more difficult when wearing braces. Additionally, tooth deterioration is possible if you can’t get rid of this sticky film.
When wearing braces, you should avoid foods like corn chips, ice cream, nuts, popcorn, sticky or hard candy, hard taco shells, pretzels, hard cookies or crackers, and sticky or hard chocolates. You should also refrain from eating spicy, citrus, thicker cuts of meats, and thick rolls of bread. When eating hard foods such as burgers, French or Italian bread, croutons, raw vegetables, meat, hard fruits, thin-crust pizza, sub sandwiches, and corn on the cob, make sure you don’t use your front teeth. Instead, cut these foods into small pieces, and then use your molars and premolars to chew them.
Not simply crunchy meals might damage your dental braces. Other things and behaviors to steer clear of that could harm brackets are pen chewing, nail-biting, straw chewing, and pencil chewing. Ensure you don’t chew on any hard objects. With braces, many things must be avoided, yet there are still plenty of delicious foods you can enjoy. For instance, you can comfortably enjoy mashed potatoes, pasta, soft veggies, soups, casseroles, dairy products, pizza without the crust, spaghetti, yogurt, meat with no bones, soft sandwiches, and soft bread. You can also eat fruits like oranges, bananas, strawberries, grapes, and other fruits without pits.
Foods to Avoid with Invisalign and Clear Aligners
Invisalign are clear aligners made of clear, thermoplastic material used to align the teeth. They are usually customized to the contour of your teeth. It is flexible; hence they are easy and comfortable to wear. Since Invisalign is clear, no one will notice you are wearing them. The person wearing Invisalign can take it out to eat, brush their teeth, floss their teeth, and clean the tray. Maintaining them is as simple as brushing your teeth. Ensure that you remove your clear aligners before eating and drinking, apart from water. Here are some foods you need to avoid when wearing Invisalign and clear aligners:
Sticky foods: Sticky foods like desserts, caramel, jelly beans, and Starbursts can also prevent your teeth-straightening procedure from working. These foods have the potential to become trapped on your aligners or in the spaces between your teeth, which can result in the accumulation of plaque, tartar, and bacteria. If you’re in need of a sweet treat, eat something like a soft cake, or cookie.
Crunchy foods: Eat hard and crunchy foods with caution since they can break your teeth. Foods such as raw carrots, almonds, potato chips, and hard-shelled bread can shatter or chip your aligners if you are eating while wearing them (which is not recommended), which means you will need new ones to complete your treatment. In order to prevent tooth decay, we advise eating softer bread, fruits, and cooked vegetables instead. Hard fruits and vegetables are undoubtedly healthier options, but they should be chopped into tiny pieces before you eat them.
Coffee and tea: Hot drinks like coffee and tea are renowned for discoloring and yellowing teeth, and Invisalign clear aligners are not an exception. Consuming these might discolor clear aligners and give the appearance that your teeth are yellower than they actually are. Taking hot liquids when wearing your aligners can cause the plastic to bend and affect how well your teeth are aligned.
Alcoholic drinks: Everyone should drink alcohol in moderation, but people wearing clear aligners should take this advice more seriously. Red wines can leave noticeable stains on your aligners, and the high sugar content of fizzy beverages can make your braces sticky and hard to wear. These acidic beverages can degrade tooth enamel and cause decay, which is terrible for your overall dental health.
Essential Tips for Taking Care of Your Invisalign
Unlike conventional metal bracket braces, you can take out your Invisalign when eating or brushing your teeth. But since these clear aligners are invisible, there is a temptation to forgo wearing the device for a long period. Ensure you wear your Invisalign for 20 to 22 hours daily to attain better results.
For your Invisalign to work and last long, they need proper maintenance. First, you have to clean your Invisalign thoroughly once you remove them. Dry saliva could be a breeding place for bacteria that produce unpleasant odors. Luckily, because they are removable, you may completely clean these devices as opposed to conventional metal braces. However, don’t brush your Invisalign vigorously to avoid breaking them.
Soak your clear aligners: Soaking your Invisalign is crucial as it keeps your trays clear and sanitized. Also, ensure you handle them correctly. Improper installation and handling may damage your Invisalign. Be careful when taking them off and putting them in your mouth. It is important to ensure you don’t leave your Invisalign exposed as you eat. Most significantly, ensure you replace your clear aligners every one to two weeks. Additionally, you must have your teeth examined every six to eight weeks to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment.
