TeaTotaler Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Ds who turned 13 about a month ago got braces put on his upper and lower teeth yesterday. He's done pretty well - had soup for lunch and dinner yesterday. Of course, he's pretty disappointed with all list of foods on the "no-no" list. I think the hardest part is going to be snacks. No carrots, apples, nuts, popcorn etc. I may have to shred the carrots. I have absolutely no experience with braces. DH had them when he was younger. Any survival tips would be helpful. A funny story: Ds plays in a local fiddling group. They have a few outfits depending on the weather. One of their options is white shirt, black pants with turquoise and yellow accessories. Well, he is one of 2 boys in the group of 13 members. The girls have no problem coming up with scarves, tights etc to accessorize. They've been giving ds a hard time about finding a turquoise fedora. Sooooo, yesterday at the ortho's office he requested turquoise bands for his top teeth and yellow bands for the bottom. If he can keep up the smiling while playing violin he is all set :-) Glad he has not lost his sense of humor!! What are some healthy snacks that your kids in braces eat? Thanks, VH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I used to cut apples up into little pieces, so Calvin could eat them without stressing the braces. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I had braces for 3 years and, if I recall, I never really changed my eating habits. :blushing: I did have to cut up things that I didn't before like apples and carrots. I avoided the hard popcorn seeds. Sticky stuff like taffy of course was out, but really it didn't make that much of a difference. My dd got her braces Monday; she is no longer sore as of 2 days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 My sister and I had braces when we were younger. Let's see if I can dredge up those ancient memories. ;) No apples -- applesauce with a dash of cinnamon No carrots -- shredded carrots No nuts -- peanut butter crackers No popcorn -- cornbread squares After an orthodontic adjustment, we also ate soup, mashed potatoes, cooked sweet potatoes, pudding, jello, applesauce, and other soft foods for a day or two, until the soreness went away. Salad, steak, raw fruits and vegetables were off the menu for a bit, but not all the time. Of course, candy was always forbidden. You could keep these on hand for snacks: string cheese (he could peel it, and eat it without biting it off) hard-boiled eggs ripe bananas peeled cucumbers (these are not too hard to bite or chew) There are ways to adapt recipes for when he has his adjustments. For example, if you are having a pork roast or a roast chicken, you could boil the roast or chicken instead, then "pull" the meat (shred it), mix with BBQ sauce, and serve it on rolls. Instead of hamburgers, you could serve sloppy joes, because the meat is minced enough to be eaten without having to bite through it. Instead of a tossed green salad, you could dice cucumbers and tomatoes, mix with lemon juice and olive oil, and serve that as a Mediterranean salad. Anything chopped or soft is very appreciated. HTH. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 My kids love smoothies especially after getting their braces tightened. It's a great way to get rid of the over ripe bananas. My sons favorite was chocolate milk, frozen banana and peanut butter and maybe a couple of ice cubes to thicken it. Throw it all in the food processor. My daughter likes smoothies made with mixed frozen berries, frozen bananas and vanilla yogurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherLinda Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 The first day of two after a new adjustment my son eats a lot of yogurt and canned chicken and noodle soup. After the pain lets up, he eats fairly normally. We just try to avoid anything too terrible crunchy that could break a bracket or bend a wire. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 My two oldest have both had braces. They literally did not change one darn thing about their eating habits and didn't have any problems at all. I wouldn't worry about it.....seriously. Let him eat what he wants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I always have Carnation instant breakfast packets on hand for adjustment days. This was recommended by our pediatrician. Other stuff - well, I've been amazed at what can make a bracket pop off. I thing *how* a kid eats is as important as what he eats. Anything placed in a large piece directly to the back of the mouth can do it. So I just encourage small bite sizes. By eating carefully, mine have been able to keep a variety of foods in their diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 My two oldest have both had braces. They literally did not change one darn thing about their eating habits and didn't have any problems at all. I wouldn't worry about it.....seriously. Let him eat what he wants. Pretty much this. The only problem areas were apples (had to be sliced) and corn on the cob--anything that had to be bitten into. My ds's have had no problem with chips or popcorn, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 My daughter eats carrots and apples on a daily basis. When we can find them she can eat straight from the bag these teeny tiny super skinny baby carrots. Otherwise she has to cut the baby carrots into pieces. Apples she peels (she doesn't like the peel), cores and then cuts into bite size pieces. A little extra work but you get used to it after 2+ years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaTotaler Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 Thank you ladies! Question: do your kids brush after every snack? Did you cut down on sweet stuff? We don't do sugary drinks, soda, junky sweets but we do enjoy cookies, icecream and chocolate in moderation in our household. VH Ds who turned 13 about a month ago got braces put on his upper and lower teeth yesterday. He's done pretty well - had soup for lunch and dinner yesterday. Of course, he's pretty disappointed with all list of foods on the "no-no" list. I think the hardest part is going to be snacks. No carrots, apples, nuts, popcorn etc. I may have to shred the carrots. I have absolutely no experience with braces. DH had them when he was younger. Any survival tips would be helpful. A funny story: Ds plays in a local fiddling group. They have a few outfits depending on the weather. One of their options is white shirt, black pants with turquoise and yellow accessories. Well, he is one of 2 boys in the group of 13 members. The girls have no problem coming up with scarves, tights etc to accessorize. They've been giving ds a hard time about finding a turquoise fedora. Sooooo, yesterday at the ortho's office he requested turquoise bands for his top teeth and yellow bands for the bottom. If he can keep up the smiling while playing violin he is all set :-) Glad he has not lost his sense of humor!! What are some healthy snacks that your kids in braces eat? Thanks, VH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Thank you ladies! Question: do your kids brush after every snack? Did you cut down on sweet stuff? We don't do sugary drinks, soda, junky sweets but we do enjoy cookies, icecream and chocolate in moderation in our household. VH I helped him with the brushing, as he just couldn't get into the corners. He hasn't cut down on the (moderate) sweet things he eats. His braces have come off now and his teeth are fine. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbaby Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I had braces for 6 years (yeah, my teeth were seriously messed up!!). I didn't change my eating habits. I ate everything on the no-no list and never had problems. Same with my dd. She has had her braces for about 3 years now. She just finished eating a bowl of popcorn:001_huh: We're rebels I guess. Sorry, I know that doesn't help!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellyndria Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 After he gets used to them being on, you can pretty much eat anything. You just can't bite into certain things... Don't bite into apples, slice them up. Carrot sticks should be fine. Don't eat corn on the cob... eat it off the cob. :tongue_smilie: He might want to avoid biting into sandwiches and burgers...the bread tends to get stuck in the front braces...not good if you're eating in public, heh. I would always break off bites with my fingers first and then pop them in my mouth. I would also advise against eating Oreos in public, too, they make a mess with braces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I give my kids Motrin an hour before appointments, and then as needed. It hurts otherwise. Pounding head and mouth aches are no fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 My DD misses popcorn the most. We have found that they make popcorn cakes (similar to rice cakes) and she likes those. For apples we have one of these http://www.amazon.com/Industries-5920-Apple-Peeler-Slicer/dp/B001A6E91E It removes the skin and cuts the apple into thin strips that she can easily eat (It's fun to use, too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3byzaz Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 My son just got them too. He hasn't changed much at all either. I buy shredded carrots for him. He just cuts some things up more now. He never did gum or chewy candy anyway - so that's all that we were told to avoid long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.