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Problem Foods When You are Wearing Braces

In most situations, common sense will prevail and you will know what foods to avoid when you’re wearing braces. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar should be avoided.

Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets while sticky foods, like candy can get caught between brackets and wires. It’s is also important to minimize sugary foods as they cause tooth decay and other related dental problems.

But it’s not just some foods that should be avoided, nail biting, pencil, pen and chewing on foreign objects should be avoid as they can cause problems with your teeth and braces.

Problem foods when you have braces

It’s important you regularly check your braces and orthodontic appliances for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, call our office immediately or arrange an appointment for repair here.

Not all yummy food has to be avoided while wearing braces. Click here to check out or fun recipes for sore teeth.

Tooth Friendly Recipes

Here are some delicious tooth friendly recipes for you and the whole family to enjoy while you are in braces!

clean retainers

Five Ingredient Ice Cream (Serves 12)tooth friendly recipes

  • ½ cup cold milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened, condensed milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups heavy cream

In a medium bowl, stir together cold milk, vanilla, condensed milk and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold milk mixture into whipped cream. Pour into shallow 2-quart dish, cover and freeze for 4 hours, stirring once after 2 hours or when edges start to harden. Serve or store in an airtight container up to 10 days.

Bounteous Butterscotch Pudding (Serves 4)tooth friendly recipes

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup and 2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup butter

In a 1-quart saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium-low heat and stir in eggs and milk. Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in vanilla and butter. Let cool briefly and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving.

Banana Blast (Serves 2)tooth friendly recipes

  • 1 banana
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups crushed ice

In a blender combine banana, nutmeg, vanilla, milk and crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Orange Sherbet (Serves 6)tooth friendly recipes

  • ¾ cup orange juice
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 1 5-ounce can very cold evaporated milk

In a bowl, combine juice and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Pour into a shallow dish and freeze until firm. Break sherbet into chunks and beat with an electric mixer until stiff. Fold into frozen mixture. Return to shallow dish and freeze again until firm. Serve.

Cherry Chocolate Rice Pudding (Serves 6)tooth friendly recipes

  • ¾ cup uncooked white rice
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup dried cherries
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, combine 1 ½ cups cooked rice, milk, sugar, vanilla, cherries, butter and cocoa. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.

Berry Good Smoothie (Serves 3)tooth friendly recipes

  • 16 cubes ice
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup mixed berry fruit juice
  • ½ cup frozen red raspberries
  • 2 ¼ cups frozen mixed berries
  • ¼ cup frozen blueberries

Blend 16 ice cubes in a blender until crushed. Pour in water and juice. Blend. Pour in frozen berries. Blend until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses.

Gator Smoothies (Serves 2)tooth friendly recipes

  • 2 cups ice
  • 2 cups favorite flavor sports drink
  • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream

In a blender, combine ice, sports drink and ice cream. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Shake (Serves 1)tooth friendly recipes

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • ¼ cup chocolate syrup
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 12 cubes ice

In a blender, combine peanut butter, chocolate syrup, milk and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Share Your Tooth Friendly Recipes

We hope you enjoy our tooth friendly recipes. Be sure to let us know which is your favorite or if you have a favorite healthy treat you would like to share with us here. Contact Us here with your suggestions.

Discover the foods you should avoid while wearing braces here.

Ice cream photo Copyright: subbotina / 123RF Stock Photo

“The Rainbow Passage” is a poem to read aloud to help your tongue adapt to the new appliances in the mouth. After a day or two you should be able to talk normally while wearing braces.

The Rainbow Passage

When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act like a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These take the shape of a long round arch with its path high above and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon. There is according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond his reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The Rainbow Passage

Patricia J. Panucci DmD, MS • Specialist in Orthodontics For Children and Adults in Southern California

Tips & Tricks