Does your child wear braces? Here are some diet tips to follow

If your child has braces, remember that the right bite-size and the consistency of food are very important.

All kids don t need braces to correct misalignment of teeth. But some do need braces for the same. There are various reasons that can lead to orthodontic problems in kids and braces are the best way to address some of them crooked, overlapping, overcrowded teeth, malocclusion, etc. But it is not easy to live with braces always. Parents whose kids wear braces and the little ones too know that it calls for little attention and proper care, especially during the initial days. It is important to be careful with the diet for a few days after fitting braces. Here Dr Vaishali Karad from Smile Care Expert Dental Centre, Mumbai gives some simple diet tips to parents to help their child wade through the first few days of discomfort.

Diet tips for kids with braces

During this period a soft diet is recommended. Food such as porridge, milk, soup, rice, dal, idli , cooked vegetables, curd, soft fruits like bananas, fruit juice, milkshakes, jelly, custard etc., are recommended. Though the braces don t put too much pressure on the teeth, some kids might find it difficult to chew with the back teeth or the molars. This is because the teeth come under mild pressure due to the braces which is like a foreign invasion in their oral cavity and hence the experience. These symptoms generally subside after a couple of days.

In about a week s time, the child should gradually be able to start having a normal diet. However, throughout orthodontic treatment, it is mandatory to avoid hard or sticky foods at all times (chewing gums, chikkis, toast, sticky sweets, ice, etc.)

Eating hard or sticky food could break or dislodge the braces, causing great discomfort, reversing some treatment results and prolonging the time required to finish the treatment. So avoid them at all costs.

The right way to eat after getting the braces fitted

• Don t ask your child to bite into whole fruit like apples or pears. Always cut them into small pieces or slices and ask them to chew with back teeth.
• Grate vegetables like carrots, beetroots and offer.
• Give them meat off the bone which is cooked to be soft and supple and cut into small bits. Never allow them to chew on to bones.
• Cut bread/biscuits/pizzas into pieces and ask them to chew on them with the back teeth. Train them to avoid eating anything with front teeth.
• Chop nuts into small pieces or grind them into a fine powder.
• Mints should be sucked on, but never chewed.
• Take care while having snacks like popcorn, they sometimes have hard corns left behind and this could lead to breakage if the braces. Either avoid giving popcorn or ask your kid to throw away the hard part.
• Avoid giving fizzy or carbonated beverages as these could damage the enamel of the teeth. Choose healthier options such as fruit juices.

Keep in mind

Your child might complain about mild pain on the soft tissues of the cheeks and lips. If this happens place a small piece of soft wax on the braces to soothe them. If there is any bruising on the cheeks use a cotton bud to dry the area and apply analgesic gel as prescribed by the doctor. This happens as the braces are above the original level of the teeth and the lips and cheeks are not used to being positioned above such levels so a slight discomfort is expected.

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