Knowing what foods to avoid with braces is super important. I know, been there done that. Going to the dentist for whatever reason is not always fun, if at all! It’s one of the greatest fears in the world, especially for children. The pain is can be excoriating, and there is no way of eating like you normally would. Your face hurts, and from personal experience, there are times when painkillers are no longer effective. Unfortunately, in addition to the cleanliness that must be followed when wearing braces, it is essential to avoid some foods that could hurt you and delay the process.

Hard candy

-There is nothing more damaging to your teeth than sweets. They are highly addictive and cause tooth decay. Hard candies, as they are known, hurt. Trying to bite into them will only cause much more pain, and logically, they can’t even be chewed.

Gummies and chewing gum

-Gummies or “chewing gum” only make your teeth work harder to chew them. Because of their texture, they stick to your teeth and cause more work when cleaning them, therefore, more pain. If chewing once is really painful, chewing constantly is even more so—the chewy texture of these candies can sometimes get tangled in the braces.

Ice and popsicles

Although it’s not strictly a food, ice consumption hurts not only because of its hardness but also because of the sensitivity that teeth sometimes acquire due to the substances applied to them. So, eating ice can hurt from the nerve of a tooth to all the sensitive teeth due to dental treatment.

Cookies

-Here’s another example of tough and crispy food. Besides, cookie residues get between your teeth and brackets, causing teeth cleaning more pain than normal. In addition, the high amount of sugar found in cookies and crackers can cause cavities.

Corn on the cob

-Biting into corn is a daunting task, and doing it without getting its residues stuck in your teeth is nearly impossible. If you want to eat corn, you’d better resort to "esquites". Taking the first bite is impossible. You simply can’t eat corn on the cob with braces.

Hard fruits

-Apples, pears, and peaches are impossible. Fitting a single tooth causes unimaginable pain. Opening your mouth is already a painful task. Trying to bite into these fruits is a challenge that no one manages to complete.

Seeds

-Peanuts, almonds, walnuts, among others, are a monumental task. Because they are small and chunky, they require extra work to eat. They leave residue between the brackets and the molars, the bands are filled with small pieces, and there is no way to remove them without discomfort.

Meat

-It’s not that you have to say goodbye to your favorite steak, but at least changing the way you approach red meats should change significantly. For example, switching to ground beef. Chewing meat or biting into it is not at all pleasurable. Like other foods, it gets stuck between the teeth, and the effort causes pain and discomfort.

Potatoes

-No matter how thin they are, when crunchy, they require more effort. The pain caused by having braces is such that there comes a point where it seems that our mouth is sedated.

Vegetable seeds

-Tomatoes are the best example. The small seeds it contains get easily stuck in the brackets.