This holiday season, many braces patients will be attending feasts and parties full of seasonal treats. This raises some obvious questions about what they can eat, which is why Dr. Cynthia Wong’s orthodontic office wants to help guide patients looking for delicious (and possibly nutritious) meals.
It’s pretty obvious that people with braces need to avoid peanut brittle and the baby carrots on veggie platters. But there are still plenty of foods that aren’t especially tough or sticky. Ham, brisket, and turkey are all popular main courses that can be cooked tender enough to not present a challenge to braces. Mashed tubers and potato pancakes are sides that won’t displace any wires, and while raw carrots are out of the question, steamed or boiled vegetables aren’t a problem. Cheese is another safe appetizer, and one of the pleasures people with braces can particularly appreciate is a bowl of hearty winter squash soup.
One thing to remember with a lot of holiday foods, including pumpkin pie and Christmas pudding, is that foods which are soft are often high in sugar. While the risk to orthodontic wires is negligible, they do need to be removed from the teeth as soon as possible. Ice cream and custard are commonly suggested as dessert alternatives, but again, it’s important for people with braces to thoroughly clean their teeth after eating anything sugary due to their increased vulnerability to tooth decay. Keep in mind that lots of holiday drinks are also high in sugar or acidic and that a water chaser is your teeth’s friend.
Cynthia Wong, DMD, operates at 15614 S Harlem #B, Orland Park, Illinois, 60462. To contact her office, call 708-444-8341 or visit Dr. Cynthia Wong and send a message.
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