The holidays are almost here, and you know what that means! It’s time to remember what we’re thankful for, start shopping for holiday gifts, and enjoy all our favorite festive foods. However, if you’re straightening your smile with braces in Dayville, you’ll need to be a little more careful of what you choose to munch on. While you’ll need to avoid some traditional treats, there are still plenty of foods you can safely enjoy this holiday season! Read on as we go over what snacks you can eat, which you should avoid, and a few tips for keeping your orthodontic treatment on track!

Braces-Friendly Festive Foods

The good news is that as long as you keep up your excellent oral hygiene and dental care habits, you can eat all sorts of holiday meals! Feel free to enjoy:

• Holiday ham and turkey: These popular centerpieces of most holiday meals are soft and filled with beneficial nutrients, so feel free to eat your fill!
• Cranberry sauce and candied yams: Soft, buttery, and sweet festive side dishes like cranberry sauce and candied yams won’t cause any trouble for your braces.
• Mashed potatoes and green bean casserole: These and other cooked vegetables are a delicious and traditional way to add even more vitamins and nutrients into your diet.
• Soft cheeses and dinner rolls: While looking for a snack between meals or an easy appetizer, feel free to eat soft cheese and dinner rolls.
• Pie and soft cookies: As long as your soft desserts don’t contain any nuts, you should be able to enjoy these sweet treats without worry.

Holiday Snacks to Avoid This Season

While there are plenty of foods you can enjoy with braces, there are some you should steer clear of this year, like:

• Corn on the cob: Not only are you likely to get corn stuck in you braces when eating it off the cob, but you could also bend or break your wires or brackets!
• Caramel corn or caramel apples: Caramel, popcorn, and apples are all bad news for braces. These can damage your braces and leave sugars stuck in hard to clean places.
• Nuts and raw veggies: While these are healthy and popular appetizers, steer clear of all nuts and crunchy vegetables to keep your braces safe.
• Pecan pie and brownies with nuts: Chewing on foods with nuts can easily damage or bend your braces, so go for nut-free brownies and pies instead.

Keeping Your Smile on Track During the Holidays

While it’s important to watch what you eat with braces during the holidays, it’s certainly not the only way to protect your orthodontic treatment. During this time of year, great oral hygiene is essential, especially if you’re wearing braces! Make sure you’re making time in your busy schedule to brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day and floss regularly. If you’re not already, you should keep a travel-sized toothbrush with you so you can clean your teeth off right after eating. Now is also a good time to start rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash so all those hard to brush areas stay sparkling and healthy.

Remember, while adjusting your diet for your braces during the holidays may feel inconvenient right now, your beautifully straightened and healthy smile will be well-worth the effort! Keep these helpful tips in mind as you enjoy this special time of year to keep your orthodontic treatment on track.

About the Practice

Simply Orthodontics is proud to serve the families of Dayville and the surrounding communities with a wide variety of orthodontic treatments. We offer reliable traditional braces to help those with all sorts of dental alignment issues get the healthy and beautiful smile they deserve. We’ll be with you every step of the way to make sure your treatment goes as smoothly, comfortably, and quickly as possible. If you have more questions about caring for your braces over the holidays, we can be reached online or at (860) 774-2008.