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Original poster

Eating with braces

29 replies

LadyDaffodil · 03/08/2023 23:18

Talk me about what your teenagers ate with braces, give me meal ideas please 🙏🏼

DS13 is coping brilliantly with his braces (2 weeks in) but is always hungry, mash is great, as is pasta but I'm running out of ideas for meals we can all eat without him thinking he's got a bowl of weetabix, while we tuck into steak and chips.

Any ideas welcome

OP posts:
WhateverMate · 03/08/2023 23:53

Hi OP

Glad to hear he's coping well.

When my DS wore braces he didn't avoid any foods (even steak!) and from memory he only broke them once and I think that was while brushing.

Could it be you're worrying a bit too much, or are they particularly flimsy?

Shurleyknot · 03/08/2023 23:55

Give it another week and it will be fine honestly. The only thing mine dont eat with braces are apples unless they chop them and popcorn gets stuck. They do make your teeth sensitive the day of tightening but a couple of times doing that and they will develop a higher pain threshold. For now just soft things till he is used to them. It really is not for much longer :)

Aquamarine1029 · 03/08/2023 23:55

You're being way too paranoid. Let the boy eat what he wants. Just avoid anything really hard to bite into. Normal food should be just fine.

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General food
FannyFifer · 03/08/2023 23:56

DD just ate whatever she did before getting braces. He doesn't need a soft diet.

Original poster
LadyDaffodil · 04/08/2023 07:34

I think it's my DS who is a little paranoid and is still getting used to them and in a few months everything will have settled down. The orthodontist was very firm when telling him what he could/couldn't eat and if he didn't look after them, then treatment would stop, I think he's really listened to him and made him a little bit scared.

OP posts:
ifonly4 · 04/08/2023 08:06

DD ate as normal with hers. I had braces years ago and remember the only thing that really caused me a problem was raw carrots - I loved them, but ended up with lots of small hard bits under my brace. Maybe avoid things like that unless he's got access to a sink to rinse off.

TeenDivided · 04/08/2023 08:12

After a week both my DD were eating pretty much everything.

No toffee, biting into whole apples, or corn on the cob. Apart from that they were good to go on anything.

dementedpixie · 04/08/2023 08:14

He doesn't need to avoid steak and chips!
Hard sweets, chewing gum, raw carrots and whole apples should be avoided. He can eat apples if they have been chopped up first.

Cut things into smaller pieces to make them more brace friendly

Original poster
LadyDaffodil · 04/08/2023 08:41

We had steak and chips last night, he struggled but got there, I'm definitely not giving him weetabix for tea Confused

OP posts:
itsmeafterall · 04/08/2023 09:45

I had braces for a year as an adult.

The thing to avoid is taking big bites at the front of the mouth of hard or very chewy things as this can snap the brackets off. Steak and chips should be fiine.

For more chewy stuff you just chop it up smaller and chew at the back of the mouth.

Avoid sticky stuff like toffees though as it's v hard to get off.
And noodles /spaghetti are a nightmare as they wiggle behind your braces 😁 and you end up looking like an Ood from doctor who 😂

I used to take a mini fiold up toothbrush out with me and toothpicks to clean my teeth after eating. I thoroughly recommended that to save food in the teeth embarrassing moments.

WandaWonder · 04/08/2023 09:47

No hard nuts, popcorn, chewy lollies or really tough steak

First few days at the start and when tightened a little sore but normal diet otherwise

Chanhedforthis · 04/08/2023 10:00

Hi OP, I'm 33 and currently have fixed metal braces!

I eat anything, they're stronger tham you think

Original poster
LadyDaffodil · 04/08/2023 15:27

Thank you all, I'll push him to try more and get his confidence back up

OP posts:
Ktay · 04/08/2023 15:33

Be a bit careful; DD has already broken hers twice since June (brackets pinging off)so is on a final warning. The first time was eating contraband (a Chupa Chup) 😒 but the second was a soft-ish baguette.

Watto1 · 04/08/2023 16:30

Funnily enough, I was just about to say that the only thing dd ever broke her brace on was a baguette. She also sliced apples rather than biting into them but other than that, she was fine after the first few days. Braces are also a bit tender after each adjustment so bear that in mind.

PretendUsername · 04/08/2023 17:10

Soups and stews, lasagne can be quite soft, risotto, fish pie

Original poster
LadyDaffodil · 04/08/2023 18:43

Ktay · 04/08/2023 15:33

Be a bit careful; DD has already broken hers twice since June (brackets pinging off)so is on a final warning. The first time was eating contraband (a Chupa Chup) 😒 but the second was a soft-ish baguette.

We are being careful, super careful I think! I'm not sorry that sweets and rubbish have pretty much stopped, cake is a treat. But we haven't had the pressure of school and being with his mates yet. Think it's just trial and error, but we'll avoid baguettes x

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyDaffodil · 04/08/2023 18:46

PretendUsername · 04/08/2023 17:10

Soups and stews, lasagne can be quite soft, risotto, fish pie

We eat a lot of pasta, stew is a good call thank you Smile

OP posts:
ScribblingPixie · 04/08/2023 18:47

Curry & rice. Cottage pie. Fish cakes.

Oblomov23 · 04/08/2023 19:33

After 2 weeks most things can be eaten. But steak is one of the trickiest. And no to French stick, too hard. Nearly everything else should be fine.

cannaethink · 04/08/2023 20:09

My 13 year old DS has just got braces too. He’s super paranoid about following the rules, especially as the wire came out of one of the brackets on the first thing he ate!
He's only a few days in so hopefully he’ll relax a bit and get back to his normal diet but at the moment it’s been soup and super noodles 🙄

Original poster
LadyDaffodil · 04/08/2023 20:18

cannaethink · 04/08/2023 20:09

My 13 year old DS has just got braces too. He’s super paranoid about following the rules, especially as the wire came out of one of the brackets on the first thing he ate!
He's only a few days in so hopefully he’ll relax a bit and get back to his normal diet but at the moment it’s been soup and super noodles 🙄

Sounds like my lad, he's really listened to the orthodontist and is super wary as well, Skips are popular, as is ready brek, weetabix and peanut butter and jam sandwiches for the sugar fix. Steak was a nightmare last night, but I'm doing a roast on Sunday with lovely soft mash and cauliflower cheese, hopefully a meal he enjoys. He just always seems hungry 😩

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyDaffodil · 22/08/2023 08:46

Five weeks in and we're back to normal. Think he needed to build his confidence up, nachos are still a no, as are baguettes and crunchy bread, but he is eating loads better

OP posts:
GoldenKiwi · 22/08/2023 08:59

My 13 year old has had them around 6 months now. She doesn't avoid any foods except chewy sweets, gum, popcorn, corn on the cob.

She is always sore after a visit to the orthodontist so we stick to soft foods for a few days afterwards. Pasta, jacket potatoes, soup, things like that. Things that don't require much chewing!

GoldenKiwi · 22/08/2023 09:02

Oh yes and for raw carrot i use a vegetable peeler to slice them really thin, instead of cutting them into sticks! Much easier for her to eat