Holiday Foods with an Orthodontist in South Pittsburgh

The holidays are filled with many things: family, lights, music, and most of all, food. Candies, pies, and sweets of all kinds seem to rain from the sky this time of the year, but many of them can be risky for a person with braces to eat. How can you, or your child, enjoy the holiday season without damaging your braces? Here are a few tips from your orthodontist in South Pittsburgh, Dr. Gary Cartwright.

Holiday Foods for People with Braces

The holidays can be a bit tricky for people with braces, as many seasonal foods are sticky, sugary, and can easily get caught in the brackets and wires. Harder foods such as nuts, popcorn, and candies (such as peanut brittle) can easily break off a bracket with one errant bite. What is a person supposed to do? They deserve to enjoy the holidays as much as anyone, but the last thing they want to do is rush to the orthodontists office to fix their braces.

Fortunately, a little planning can help you enjoy holiday treats without worry. Something like ice cream is delicious, and poses no risk of damaging sensitive orthodontic work. It comes in a never-ending list of flavors, so a quick trip to the store can help you find that particular taste you associate with this time of year.

Another treat that has many possibilities is gelatin. This can be found in a rainbow of colors and flavors, and many people add fruit to it as well. This provides endless variety, so it should be easy for someone with braces to get their sweets fix.

Creamy chocolate sauce or whipped cream are your friends as well. Pretty much anything tastes good covered in chocolate, whether it be fruit or a marshmallow. This once again gives you options for treats that won’t affect your braces. The real key is to think ahead, and a little creativity might actually help you stumble upon a new holiday favorite.

What Else You Can Do

Of course, with all of these extra sweets, you need to be diligent about cleaning your teeth. Sugar can be harmful for teeth in large doses, and this can be especially true for people with braces. Sweets can easily get caught in the brackets and wires and be more difficult to brush way, leaving you vulnerable to tooth decay. Whenever you’re enjoying sweets this season, be sure to have a toothbrush with you so you can brush right after. It only takes a few minutes to brush your teeth thoroughly, and even less time to floss. If you need help flossing with your braces, Dr. Cartwright can show you how to use a floss-threader. A few minutes cleaning your teeth will go a long way in keeping them healthy and protecting you from cavities.

Enjoy the Holidays!

The holidays are a time to sit back and relax with your favorite foods, and with a little preparation, you can still do that with braces. There are plenty of tasty foods you can enjoy that you won’t have to worry about.

If you would like more tips about eating with braces this season, give your South Pittsburgh orthodontist a call today. Happy Holidays!