The holiday season is once more upon us, and it brings with it good cheer, gift-giving, and traditional feasts. While this makes it a wonderful time of year for many people, those who wear braces might have some difficulty enjoying a customary meal while keeping their orthodontic treatment on track. Here are a few tips to help people with braces enjoy their holiday feasts without worrying about having an orthodontic emergency.
Stick with the Softer Fare
Thankfully, traditional holiday spreads usually come with a selection of harder and softer foods. Soft foods can be great for people with braces because they don’t put stress on the wires or brackets. Feel free to load your plate with mashed potatoes, yams, carrots, squash, soups, pudding, and cream-based pies.
However, you’ll probably want to enjoy the meat as well. Luckily, enjoying turkey, lamb, or beef is perfectly within reach. Be sure to cut your serving into small pieces while taking care to never bite it off the bone. You might also want to treat it to a generous helping of gravy to soften it.
Skip the Hard and Soft Candies
Candy is commonly offered at parties and businesses during the holiday season. Unfortunately, hard and soft sweets can be dangerous for your braces. Hard candies like candy canes and peppermints can cause wires and brackets to break, and soft candies like caramels and toffees can pull them out of position. When you enjoy your sweets, do so in moderation and stick to items like softer cookies, chocolates, cakes, and puddings.
Take It Easy While Chewing
With a wide variety of delicious foods available at a holiday party, it can be too easy to get excited about enjoying them all. Take care to chew slowly, as all too often an unexpected bone or seed can make its way into your mouth without you realizing it. This will prevent damage to your braces and your teeth.
Braces are an excellent way to bring a smile into a healthier alignment. When you’re celebrating the holidays, treating your braces with care will help them do their job quickly so you can enjoy future holiday seasons with a beautifully straight smile.
About the Author
Dr. Bradley Buchwald earned his dental degree from the Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine where he graduated as valedictorian. He serves as a member of the American Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontists, and the Texas Dental Association. His office in Frisco, TX offers traditional braces as well as Invisalign clear aligner treatments. For more information on caring for your braces during the holidays, contact the office online or dial (972) 330-2635.