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Eat and Enjoy: Approaching Your Thanksgiving Meal with Braces

Tender teeth may feel like a hindrance on a holiday where all you want to do is sink your teeth into your family feast. But from turkey to corn on the cob to every other classic side dish and dessert, we want to assure you that your braces don’t have to get in the way of your holiday enjoyment! However, if you’re beginning to sweat over how to navigate the Thanksgiving table this time around, we’re here to give you some food for thought on how to formulate a successful plan of attack:

Dive Into These Dishes:

Mashed Potatoes Soft, filling, easy to clean out of your braces, and buttery? Perfect! Mashed potatoes are the ideal Thanksgiving food for anyone wearing braces!

• Turkey and Ham – Who could steer clear of the Thanksgiving classic? Your family’s centerpiece turkey is safe to eat so long as you avoid bones and cut your slices into smaller pieces.
• Bread – So long as your bread or muffins don’t have a tough crust to crunch through, feel free to butter and bite away! Also be sure, however, that there are no added nuts or other hard and potentially damaging foods in the mix.
• Green Bean Casserole – A cooked classic side dish, green bean casserole and other vegetables will be safe so long as they’re cooked and soft. After all, we all need something a little green thrown into our meal!

Plan Around These Plates:

• Corn on the Cob – Sorry, but corn on the cob is likely to do damage to your wires and brackets when you bite straight into it. Unless you’re eating corn pieces that have been cut off and cooked, you’ll need to lay of the cob.
• Certain Salad Toppings – While salad in and of itself should be fine to eat, be sure that you don’t top it with any croutons, nuts, or hard vegetables. They are all likely to be too hard for your braces, so stick with softer toppings and salad dressings.
• Caramel apples – A common Thanksgiving dessert, caramel apples are a nightmare if you wear braces. The caramel is tough and will be nearly impossible to clean off, and apples that aren’t cut up are simply too hard to bite into. We recommend sticking to pie or ice cream.
• Chips and Popcorn – Bits and kernels will get stick behind your brackets—if not do damage—and they can even cut painfully into your gums if they get stuck between your teeth. Try to avoid these salty snacks on Thanksgiving and opt instead for cheese and meat slices or creamy dips.

If you still have some Thanksgiving-related questions on what you can (or can’t) eat, or if you just need some maintenance following your holiday feast, be sure to call us here at Southshore Orthodontics! Not only do we strive to provide excellent results and exceptional service in a welcoming environment, but we are also committed to offering a personalized approach to your experience, so schedule an appointment with us today!

Sometimes, braces require strategy. And Halloween, in particular, is a landmine holiday full of candy and other edible goodies that have the dangerous potential to negatively impact your braces. At best, some candy may only make cleaning a more arduous task while, at worst, you’re actually putting yourself at risk for damaging or breaking your braces.

So, speaking of strategy, what types of candy do you want to try to avoid during Halloween?

Chewy Candy

When you consciously set food restrictions for yourself, it can be extremely tempting to bend and break the rules. Speaking of bending and breaking, that’s exactly what chewy, sticky candy can do to your braces. From tootsie rolls to Starbursts to taffy, you’ll want to stay away from the bad luck these candies can bring.

Apples and Nuts

As great as healthy alternatives are to Halloween candy, they aren’t necessarily safer to eat. Apples will likely be okay if sliced into small bits, but you want to be sure to never bite directly into a whole apple itself. Nuts are also too tough on wires and brackets, regardless as to whether they are whole or incorporated inside of your favorite candy bar.

Hard Candy

Jawbreakers won’t only break your jaw. Hard candies are okay if you’re only going to suck on them ‘til they dissolve, but never bite down on hard candy while wearing braces. The tough, sugary shards are likely to do more damage than they’re worth, so if you don’t trust yourself to exhibit self-control, maintaining a hands-off approach to Jolly Ranchers, Life Savers, and the like is going to be wise on Halloween.

Popcorn

Not only can the fluffy, white bits of popcorn get stuck under your braces, but the hard bits of kernel underneath are also likely to cause you some potential pain, both literal and metaphorical. Cleaning will be made more difficult than usual thanks to popcorn, so we recommend looking for something both softer and safer.

Toffee/Brittle

Sweets that start off “hard” and gradually melt into “sticky” present the worst of both worlds for braces, as they can involve any of the aforementioned issues. After all, braces may be primarily made of metal, but against some candies, they’re simply too… brittle.

While this list may leave you wondering what you can eat on Halloween, we’re here to reassure you that there are still plenty of sweet options for you! Some candies to gravitate towards as you indulge your sweet tooth include pure chocolate, soft cookies, Pixie Sticks, and more. It’s all about thinking ahead and ensuring that you clean properly after eating!

If you’re not sure what you can eat or if you need some post-Halloween maintenance, just call Southshore Orthodontics! We strive to provide excellent results and exceptional service in a welcoming environment, so schedule an appointment with us today!

If you’ve spent too much time agonizing over what to do about your crooked teeth, it’s time to know that you don’t have to smile through the pain of habitual tight-lipped selfies anymore. After all, crooked teeth may be hard to hide, but the process of straightening them doesn’t have to be. Instead, find relief and try INBRACE.

INBRACE is a revolutionary orthodontic treatment designed to straighten your teeth in the most discrete and convenient way possible. In fact, INBRACE is actually placed behind the teeth to allow for optimal straightening without obstructing your smile. Since nothing is attached to the front of your teeth, treatment is not only more aesthetically pleasing, but you’ll find your physical comfort accounted for, too.

In other words, INBRACE is an orthodontic option that reduces discomfort while remaining efficient and effective. As INBRACE’s Smartwires gently guide your teeth into proper alignment, you can continue your day-to-day processes without feeling distracted by an appliance that has to be removed every time you eat.  Still not convinced? In that case, you should know that the strategic placement of INBRACE not only improves oral hygiene, but reduces staining and allows you to eat and drink normally.

At the end of the day, INBRACE isn’t just another type of orthodontic appliance—it’s an innovative solution guaranteed to get you more predictable results with fewer appointments. And here at SouthShore Orthodontics, we always place our commitment to our patients first, which is why we’re offering this revolutionary and innovative treatment. As the only practice in the area currently offering INBRACE, we want to ensure you know that our mission is to provide your family with exceptional results in a welcoming environment.

If you want to straighten your teeth while expanding your orthodontic options, we’re here to make sure you have an experience that leaves you smiling. Call SouthShore Orthodontics or visit us today to schedule an appointment.