Have Braces? No Food For You!

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Ok, the title is a bit misleading. But the truth is that when you get braces, you’re going to realize that you can’t have a lot of your favorite foods. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s part of the sacrifice you make for straight – and healthy – teeth.

Often, you get a broad list of things to avoid, and it’s hard to understand the why behind it. Here at TinHan Orthodontics in Pearl City, Hawaii, Dr. Erik TinHan understands that the best way to help you have a good experience with braces is to explain the process to you.

So that’s what we’re going to do today. We’ll tell you about the food to avoid, and why you need to avoid it.

Popcorn
Movies aren’t complete without a bucket of popcorn, right? Well, they’ll have to be for a bit while you’re wearing braces. The kernels get stuck in the brackets and wires, and can actually break your braces. That’s not a position you want to be in since broken orthodontic equipment can be painful and needs to be fixed right away.

Caramel and nuts
If you’re a fan of Snickers bars, you’ll have to cut back while wearing braces caramel gets stuck in your braces and trying to clean it off can actually break them sometimes. The same goes for nuts, though these aren’t as hard on your braces as caramel.

Citrus
Lastly, citrus contains some acid that can wear away the cement used to keep your braces in place. You can still drink citrus – like orange juice – but you’ll want to limit your intake.

If you have any other questions, call us today at 808-485-2444. We are pleased to serve patients in Kahala, Waikele, Waipahu, Mililani, Salt Lake, ‘Āina Haina, Niu Valley, Ewa Beach, Kapolei, Honolulu, and Aiea, Hawaii.