Our top suggestions for braces-friendly food

Like many forms of dental treatment, wearing braces can take a little bit of getting used to – even when they’re Invisalign! For the first few days there tends to be a small amount of discomfort to deal with, but arguably one of the hardest bits is having to change your diet to accommodate your braces. You’ll need to know what foods to stay away from, so that you can avoid unnecessary pain and damage to your braces.

And in the spirit of our newest Easy Invisalign offer here at AP Smilecare, there seems like no better time to give you a few top suggestions from our team about some of the best foods to eat, and maybe even one or two things you can do with them!

Soup

Soup may or not be one of your go-to foods usually, but there’s no denying that it’s one of the easiest foods to enjoy once you have braces fitted. They’re quick and easy to make from scratch, they’re filling, and there’s a huge range of recipes you can choose from. Best of all, as a mostly liquid food they pose the lowest risk to your braces, and they’re great for helping minimise the discomfort you might have in the earliest days of getting yours fitted.

Fish

When it comes to fish, the world is your oyster (if you’ll pardon the pun!). There’s tonnes to choose from, most of them particularly high in Omega 3. Fresh fish like salmon and cod will perhaps be the easiest on your braces, but obviously they can be a little more expensive than other options, so you might prefer to go for things like fish cakes and fish pies instead.

Pasta

As a famously versatile food, pasta may well form a staple part of your diet already. When you’ve got braces, you’ll find that the softer you’re able to make it, the better. You can still eat pasta bakes, as long as you treat them with caution, but the best options are probably things like carbonara, macaroni and cheese, and bolognese. If you’re planning on trying out any new pasta recipes, keep a wary eye out for any harder ingredients!

Rice

Much like with pasta above, rice is an excellent base that can be used to create a huge variety of recipes, and mostly-rice dishes are generally unlikely to pose much of a risk to your braces. Whether you’re mixing it into a dish like a risotto, or you’re simply serving it alongside fish, chicken or vegetables, rice is one of those foods you might find yourself relying upon even more when you’ve got braces. (Plus, just like pasta dishes, rice dishes tend to be on the cheap side – always an extra bonus!)

Sandwiches

A handy lunchtime staple, as long as you’re careful about what you put in them. I know that several of our patients here at AP Smilecare are fond of the occasional crisp butty, but that’s a treat you’ll want to steer clear of for the time being once you’ve got braces fitted. Most fillings, though, are unlikely to pose too much of a problem – ham, tuna, chicken and cheese are always good for a go-to.

Fruit and vegetables

Obviously it’s always good to keep plenty of fruit and vegetables as a staple part of your diet, but you will need to be a little more selective about which ones you eat, and sometimes how you eat it. In terms of vegetables, raw carrots and celery are probably ones to steer clear of unless you fancy taking the time to cut them up into much smaller pieces.

I also wouldn’t consume sweetcorn if it’s ‘on the cob’, and don’t forget that while you can eat things like spinach, they can easily become stuck in your braces – so watch out for that! However, most other vegetables will be fine to consume, especially if you boil them or steam them rather than roasting them.

Apples are obviously one that you might want to skip out on for now, as they’re a notoriously hard food. But you’ve still got plenty of options, including bananas, tangerines, melons, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Soft peaches and nectaries are also fine to consume, but watch out for the stones!

Foods to avoid

Generally, you’ll be able to tell what foods you can and can’t eat – mostly it’s just a case of listening to your gut instinct. Apart from the other things I’ve mentioned above, I’d certainly avoid things like pizza, French sticks and tiger bread for example. I’d also leave the fizzy drinks, nuts and popcorn aside, as they all have a particular capacity to harm your teeth. And be careful of certain cereals – as far as your braces are concerned, some harder ones can be cereal ‘killers!’

You can find out more about our Invisalign and adult braces options right here on our site (as well as the other dental treatments we offer). If you’ve got any doubts, don’t forget that you can always give our Blackburn dental clinic a quick ring, where any of us will be happy to give you a quick bit of advice over the phone. Who knows, maybe some of the team might have their own individual suggestions about some of the best foods to eat – any perhaps even a tasty recipe or two!