Happy Orthodontic Health Month! At Backus Orthodontics, we love having a reason to celebrate. Combining celebration with orthodontics is our dream come true! We want to help you safely observe orthodontic health month by telling you some sweet treats you can eat with braces!
Why Your Choice Of Sweets Matters.
As you probably already know, you must be careful when choosing your meals and snacks while you have braces. When it comes to sweet treats, you have to abide by the same rules! You should avoid anything crunchy, sticky, or chewy that could damage or get stuck in your braces. A celebration can quickly become an orthodontic emergency if you’re not cautious!
What Treats Should You Not Eat?
Here is a list of treats you should avoid while wearing fixed braces:
- Caramel
- Laffy Taffy and other taffies
- Jelly Beans
- Chewy candy, like Sour Patch Kids or other gummies
- Popcorn
- Suckers/Lollipops
- Nothing with nuts
- Ice cream cones
These candies and snacks can cause your brackets to chip, crack, or separate from the teeth. It can also damage your wires. Though broken braces won’t hurt your orthodontic progress, they can be annoying and uncomfortable. Damaged brackets and wires can poke at your gums, cheeks, and lips, creating open wounds, sores, and infections. The wrong food can also get stuck in your braces, making it difficult to thoroughly clean your teeth and gums. Simply avoiding these foods can keep you and your braces safe and clean.
What Treats Can You Eat?
Now, let’s get to the food you can eat to celebrate Orthodontic Health Month!
- Most chocolate bars
- Ice cream
- Peanut butter cups
- Cookies
- Pudding
- Jell-O
- Milkshakes
- Smoothies
- Muffins
- Cake
Delicious treats are always available during orthodontic treatment as long as you know what to look for! As long your sweet treat is soft and does not need to be bitten into with your front teeth, you should be free to enjoy it!
What Can Orthodontic Care Do For You?
Taking good care of your braces and oral health is crucial to ensuring you have the results you’ve been dreaming of at the end of treatment.
Following a diet approved by Backus Orthodontics is the best way to maintain excellent condition and oral health. Below are a few ways orthodontic care can benefit you to help you feel motivated about your new diet and braces!
Easier To Maintain Oral Health
Malocclusion (improperly aligned teeth) can make oral hygiene a daily challenge. Overcrowding creates hard-to-reach nooks and crannies that allow bacteria and food to build up. Over time, these hidden threats could cause bad breath, tooth decay, gum disease, infections, and other issues. If left untreated, oral health concerns have the potential to cause permanent damage to your teeth and gums, including (but not limited to) tooth loss!
Braces can align your teeth and jaw for a cleaner, healthier mouth without frustration or discomfort!
Improves Breathing Problems
Teeth and jaw alignment issues can be associated with narrow air passageways. Improper jaw alignment can cause mouth breathing (which could lead to dry mouth) or sleep apnea. Dry mouth can make eating difficult and increase your chances of infections and sores, and disrupted sleep can leave you tired and irritable during the day.
Orthodontic care can widen your air passageways and make it possible to comfortably close your mouth, so you can breathe through your nose and sleep peacefully.
Prevents Digestive Issues
Besides giving you a dazzling smile, the main job of your teeth is to break down food before ingesting it. Thoroughly chewing food before swallowing is not only crucial in preventing choking but also helps by making it easier for your body to absorb the needed nutrients as efficiently as possible. Inadequately chewed food can promote indigestion, bloating, constipation, and intestinal gas. Bad breath and heartburn are also side effects of a struggling digestive system.
Misaligned teeth can make chewing food more difficult. Eating can quickly become uncomfortable or frustrating due to the spacing or crowding of teeth, making it strenuous to chew correctly. If you associate eating with negative emotions, you might become at risk of developing unhealthy eating habits, which can lead to malnutrition.
Orthodontic care can help make mealtime and snack time much more enjoyable and beneficial!
Minimizes Potential Pain
The pain that mispositioned teeth can create in the jaw can also spread to your neck and head. Abnormal jaw function or other bite issues can lead to headaches and migraines. If not improved, this tension can develop into TMJ, an uncomfortable condition that stems from your jaw being unable to open and close correctly.
Gum disease, tooth decay, TMJ, and digestive issues all have the potential to cause varying degrees of discomfort and pain. Fortunately, however, you can avoid most of these conditions and minimize their symptoms with appropriate dental and orthodontic care.
Celebrate Orthodontic Health Month With Backus Orthodontics!
To start your orthodontic journey, schedule a free consultation with Dr. Backus today! He and his team are passionate about helping people in Hoover and the surrounding communities have a reason to share a smile they are proud of.
If you don’t see your favorite dessert or sweet snack on the list and want to know if it’s safe to eat, contact our office! We’d love to hear from you and help you celebrate Orthodontic Health Month!
You can also celebrate by grabbing one of the delicious candies we offer in-office!