What should you avoid eating while wearing braces?

If we wear rings

Foods that are too hard (crust of bread, baguette, chewable apple or carrot, candy, etc.) or too sticky (caramel, chewing gum, etc.): the “rings” are stuck in a “fragile” way on the teeth to be able to remove them easily on the day the treatment is completed. Foods that are too hard or too sticky, and in general any object put in the mouth (pen, nails), can quickly loosen the braces and damage the appliance. You must avoid damaging your device so as not to waste time in your treatment.

If we wear aligners

Do not eat or drink sweet or colored foods (tea, coffee, curry, etc.), which, if left between the teeth and the trays, can stain the teeth or cause cavities.

The same goes for hot foods which can deform these trays made of heat-sensitive plastic. In summary, you should always eat without your aligners except to drink cold water, and put clean aligners on clean teeth. When orthodontic appliances are present on the teeth, food will be retained and more difficult to eliminate. If brushing and diet are not appropriate, bacteria will produce acids from the sugar they are allowed to produce which will lead to progressive destruction of tooth enamel, ultimately causing stains (starting caries) or cavities. (advanced caries) which will require treatment by a dental surgeon.

In order to maintain healthy teeth throughout your orthodontic treatment, it is therefore essential to apply the advice of your orthodontist in order to effectively eliminate dental plaque (bacteria and food deposited on the surface of the teeth, in contact with the device) after each meal, and limit your food intake to 3 meals per day (or 4 meals with a snack, for children), with only pure water between meals (avoid snacking).