What To Eat With Braces, The First Week [With List]

After getting braces, the first few days may not be very comfortable for you, as you have a lot of new experiences. One of the most important questions regarding that is, “What to eat with braces during the first week?”

And, how can you eat normal food with braces after getting them tightened?

In this article, you will get a list of foods that you can or can’t eat for the first week of braces. Also, learn how to eat.

What to eat with braces on the first day?

For the first couple of days, you should eat softer, more liquid foods as the adhesive holding the brackets to your teeth needs time to solidify. Moreover, for the first 2–3 days, you can experience pain.

So, these foods can also give your teeth rest and help relieve your pain. Otherwise, picking hard, sticky and crunchy foods may increase the pain.

List of foods to eat with braces, the first week

• Soups
• Scrambled eggs
• Mashed potatoes
• Oatmeal
• Yogurt
• Smoothies
• Cheese
• Bananas
• Rice
• Noodles
• Pudding
• Moist cakes
• Tortillas
• Soufflés
• Applesauce
• Curry dishes
• Stew

What not to eat with braces the first week?

Here is the list of food to avoid with braces during the first week.

Hard and crunchy foods to avoid:

• Nuts
• Popcorn
• Corn on the cob
• Hard pretzels
• Hard rolls
• Licorice
• Ice
• Bagels

Sticky and sugary foods to avoid:

• Sticky chocolates
• Gums
• Caramels
• Candy
• Lollipop

Why should you eat the right foods for the first week of Braces?

Braces-wearers may feel discomfort continuously for the first few days after having it. This is because keeping those solid materials like brackets, wires, or hooks in your mouth all the time isn’t so easy.

Moreover, eating or chewing foods with that becomes a more challenging task, especially for beginners because they aren’t familiar with food habits. So, take the time to make the habit.

When your orthodontist attaches brackets to your teeth, he or she uses certain types of chemicals/glue to brackets with teeth.

They need time to make a good bonding between teeth and brackets.

The first week of braces can get damaged easily as they are newly attached.

So, to help them bond and avoid the damage or loosening of braces, you should be cautious about your food habits for the first few days.

In addition, your teeth may feel sore. You may also have teeth sensitivity.

Therefore, you should consider these factors for your food selection and make a proper meal plan for the first week of braces.

When your braces are tightened, commonly you feel mild pain for the first 2-3 days.

Now, if you pick the wrong food, you may experience more pain.

Now you may know the answer to the question,

Why does it hurt to eat with braces?

Reasons for feeling pain during eating with braces may be-

• Picking the wrong foods
• Braces provide more pressure on your teeth for the first few days when you eat or chew
• Choosing braces-friendly foods and over time the pain goes away

How to eat with new braces the first week?

For the first week after getting braces, you should stick to a softer diet as your mouth needs to adjust to the braces and you become used to eating while wearing them. You can eat food like seedless bread, boiled veggies, yogurt, thin soup, pasta, and dessert during this period. The wrong diet selections, however, can damage the braces as well as your teeth.

Now, let’s take a look at the ways to eat with new braces are:

1. Control your mind

Sit quietly and make a few commitments to yourself first. Consider the outcome of your orthodontic treatment.

You are spending a lot of money to get a beautiful smile. You need to make a commitment to yourself and be prepared to make some sacrifices.

As an example, you might need to avoid some of your favorite foods since they might damage your braces. Additionally, you must routinely brush and floss your teeth.

You cannot even make a slight mistake, such as saying, “I’ll eat this meal today, then I won’t do it again.” Even one serving of these foods can be bad for your braces.

Moreover, if you can’t follow these rules strictly, you’ll keep repeating this mistake.

You can easily do it after your mind is prepared to do all those things.

2. Avoid foods that are harmful to braces

You have to be careful before choosing the foods after braces are put on. So, plan for that even before the appointment with the orthodontists.

Stay away from hard and crunchy foods. Your braces can get loose or wire may pop out because of these foods.

3. Choosing easy-to-clean foods

Pick foods that are easy to clean and make a way to eat with braces without food getting stuck. Eat soft, non-sugary, and non-sticky foods that are friendly for your teeth and braces.

Brushing and flossing teeth with braces is a difficult task. These foods can be cleaned easily.

4. Cut down sticky and sugary foods and drinks from the diet

Sticky foods adhere to brackets, wires, and teeth that are hard to clean. This leads to tooth decay, staining, and gum diseases.

Sugary foods also have the same problem. So, avoid those foods.

5. Avoid acidic and sugary drinks

Acidic drinks dissolve the enamel of teeth and result in tooth discoloration. Moreover, sugary and acidic drinks also cause excess plaque and tooth decay.

Stay away from those drinks, e. g. tea, coffee, soda, sports drinks, energy, or any carbonated drink.

6. Chewing technique with braces

Avoid putting pressure on your teeth. Taking a soft or liquid diet makes it simple to accomplish that.

If you are taking foods like burgers, pizza, and food that you need to open your mouth wide or bite hard, cut them into smaller pieces and take that.

You may face the same problems if you want to eat fruits and vegetables such as apples, or carrots. So, you can make juice and drink it.

Whatever the foods you choose, be careful during chewing and take a bite, especially for the first week. After that, you will get used to the technique.

Take a tiny bite and chew it well. Utilize your stronger back teeth to chew food as much as possible.

Moreover, the molar bands or buccal tubes are placed on molar teeth and they are more powerful components of braces.

So, these areas are safe to chew. But, don’t forget to clean your teeth thoroughly after the meal.

7. Choosing braces-friendly foods

Foods that are soft, less sugary, and non-sticky are braces-friendly foods. Make a braces-friendly diet chart for the first week as well as during the treatment.

8. Try braces-friendly recipes

You can choose or make a recipe that contains braces-friendly ingredients. If your child wears braces, and you are worried about giving him or her a launch at school, you can check our other article.

9. Cleaning food particles properly after each meal

When you get braces, you have to maintain oral hygiene regularly, even if you need to be more careful than before.

You have to remove food debris from all the surfaces of teeth and braces and make them clean.

However, brushing and flossing teeth with braces is a little bit different.

So, follow the proper method of maintaining oral hygiene with braces and clean your teeth after every meal.

How to eat healthy foods after braces are tightened or adjusted?

Your orthodontics tighten your braces to put pressure on teeth so that they can move to desired positions.

After each tightening appointment, your teeth may feel sore or sensitive to certain foods.

So, avoid those foods that aren’t braces-friendly. Picking the wrong foods can cause pain.

Follow a soft foods diet after braces tightening.

Learn how to eat different foods with braces. 

How long after getting braces can you eat solid food?

After 5 to 7 days, braces-related discomfort goes away, and you can start eating more solid foods. However, you shouldn’t take too hard, and sticky food as they can damage your braces and teeth.

But, you can slice the hard foods into small pieces or make them soft to eat.

What to eat with braces if you have sore teeth?

Your teeth may feel sore and painful with braces sometimes. Usually, it happens after getting braces tightened or when your orthodontics attaches a new component to braces.

When your teeth are painful, give them rest. Otherwise, the pain will be increased. But, how can you do that?

Take braces-friendly softer foods, and take more liquid types of foods for 1 or 2 days.

What to eat with braces if you have sensitive teeth?

Some people develop sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks after getting braces. If you experience any type of sensitivity, avoid the food or drink that you can’t bear.

Stay away from those for a few days. So, you can take more neutral foods and a soft diet.

Conclusion

The first week after getting braces is very important as you have to adjust to many situations including your diet. But, you get used to this over time. Be careful about choosing the proper diet for braces.

Otherwise, your braces can get broken or loose and your treatment time will be prolonged.

Follow all the instructions provided by your orthodontist and tips of eating foods with braces we discussed here, and get the best outcome of treatment.

Pallab Kishore

Pallab Kishore is a certified dentist and the owner of Orthodontic Braces Care.
He completed BDS in 2014. Now, he is an MS resident in Orthodontics, BSMMU. He likes content writing and has 12+ years of experience in blogging.