Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season with a day of giving thanks, spending time with those you love, and feasting on a home-cooked meal. For those with braces, it can be tricky to know which foods are braces-friendly and which should be avoided.
The dentists at
Smile Studio Orthodontics are here to help break your Thanksgiving dinner down, giving you the information you need to keep your holidays emergency-free.
Foods You Can Add to Your Plate
Meats
Go ahead and add the Thanksgiving turkey to your plate, as long as you cut the meat off the bone. In general, softer, deboned white meats from birds and fish are safe to eat with braces, while tougher red meats from cows, pigs, and lamb may pose difficulties in chewing and result in damage to braces.
Vegetables
Mashed, steamed, or baked vegetables can be added to your plate. Unless you are eating mashed vegetables, make sure to cut your vegetables up before eating to ensure that you are not putting too much stress on your braces. Do not eat vegetables that are crunchy or require you to bite into them, such as corn on the cob.
Soft Foods
Soft foods, such as pies, puddings, casseroles, and mac and cheese, are safe to eat with braces. However, if these soft foods are made with a hard crust or shell, whether it be a crunchy casserole topping or pie crust, this crust should be scraped off and put to the side to avoid injury to your braces.
Crunchy Foods
Hard, crunchy foods should be avoided with braces as they can cause them to be popped off. Additionally, foods with hard or crunchy crusts or toppings should be avoided. Nuts, hard candies, casserole crusts, mac and cheese toppings, and pie crusts are all examples of crunchy foods that should be avoided.
Hand Foods
Hand foods that require you to bite into them, such as corn on the cob, apples, or crunchy raw vegetables, should be avoided, as they can easily damage your braces. Avoid crunchy foods such as apples or raw vegetables entirely, and make sure to cut the corn off the cob if you have to have it.
