Gift giving is great but to some people, Christmas is all about the food. If you have braces you will have to watch what you eat and drink as some treats are unsuitable. So, before you go for that turkey drumstick, you should read this blog about brace care and find out the five treats to avoid this Christmas.
Candy Canes
Crunching on candy canes and other hard candies will get stuck in your teeth and braces, causing damage and potentially breaking your braces. The result, it won’t be Santa you’ll be seeing this Christmas, but your orthodontist. And no one wants that at Christmas. Alternatively, chocolate coins, eaten at room temperature and with caution are perfectly fine.
Christmas Cake
Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies all contain sticky dried fruits such as raisins and currants, which are a magnet to your teeth and will become lodged in between the brackets of your braces. The thick layers of chewy icing on top of the cakes also have the same effect as the dried fruit but at a greater level.
Cakes and puddings without the fruits and icing are a better choice and are fine to eat. But remember they should be eaten in moderation as they are unhealthy and very sugary.
Crusty bread
A warm freshly baked loaf of bread may be very tempting this time of the year. But the crusts can be very chewy and can dislodge and snap brackets and wires. If you do fancy some bread we recommend that you carefully only eat the soft centre. Dunking it in a warm bowl of soup is also a great idea for the winter season.
Nuts
Nuts and other hard snacks such as pretzels are a no go. The hard texture will damage your braces by either breaking brackets and bands or bending the archwires. All nut alternatives will cause these issues so instead why not opt for some apple slices dunked in nut spread.
Wine
Wine, coffee and other dark fruit juices can cause discolouring of your teeth. If you decide you want to accompany your turkey with a glass of wine, you should drink it along with water, in order to rinse your mouth.