Healthy Teeth | 4 Smart Strategies To Eat Seamlessly With Braces
When you have braces fitted at the dentist for aligning your teeth, you're probably always confronted with the challenge of eating food. At first, you'll likely find it almost impossible as you get used to these new additions in your mouth. Over time, you will learn to eat without harming your braces or your teeth. These eating strategies will teach you to eat seamlessly with braces. Apart from eating, you'll want to keep your braces well maintained, so don't forget to visit your dentist regularly.
Eat Smaller Bites Slowly
Eating with braces is always difficult because you have to be careful when biting into all kinds of bones, seeds and hard-to-chew food. The best way to tackle food is to chew your food carefully and slowly. Avoid large and quick bites because they could cause the brace brackets to loosen and fall off from your teeth. You can avoid this problem by simply eating smaller bites as slowly as possible. Drinking water will help you to swallow food more easily, while rinsing out any food stuck on the braces.
Stay Away From Hard And Sticky Food
When you have braces, you should ideally avoid hard and sticky foods that can cause unnecessary damage by cracking or loosening your braces. For example, hard foods like nuts, seeds, popcorn and raw carrots can get stuck in the grooves and loosen the brace wiring around your teeth. Similarly, sticky foods like gum, toffee and caramel can get stuck in the braces and will be difficult to clean, eventually loosening the brace brackets and damaging your teeth.
Use The Side Of Your Mouth For Biting
When biting into your food, use the side of your mouth to chew your food properly. Using your front teeth will be virtually impossible with your braces because the brackets will get plastered with food. Your side teeth are relatively thick and will help you bite into your food more easily than your brace-laden front teeth. Using your side teeth will also reduce the pain involved in chewing with your front teeth.
Avoid Stringy Foods In Your Diet
Stringy foods like noodles, spaghetti and mozzarella are likely to get into your brace brackets, which could loosen them over time. That's why you'll want to stay away from these foods as much as possible. If you decide you cannot do without them, cut them into small pieces before biting into them to prevent them from getting stuck in your braces.
While braces may change your eating habits, you tend to get used to them in time. Visit your dentist regularly to ensure that your braces sit well on your teeth. For more information and tips, visit websites like http://www.ormonddental.com.au.