Eat Popcorn with Braces: When we are craving something light, salty, and airy snack. The first thing that comes into mind is popcorn whether they are coming from the bag, microwave, or flesh out of a popping machine.
The big problem is when you have braces you cannot eat the popcorn because the popcorn can harm your teeth, stuck with your gums, and can break your braces. Let’s take a look at the reason why you should not eat popcorn with braces.
Side Effects of Eating Popcorn with Braces
Popcorn belongs firmly on the list of things you should avoid when you have braces on your teeth. That’s so because fully hull popcorn can:
- Injure your teeth
- Clean your gums
- Revers your braces
Why we should avoid eating popcorn with braces?
Popcorn hulls are the leftover part of the corn seed, which gets hard and when it is popped it stays in the popcorn kernels. These hulls can be easily stacked within your braces and teeth and are difficult to remove.
Because these hulls have sharp edges and easily press up against your gums when trapped under the wires of your braces.
Simply, yes, you have to avoid the popcorn with braces. For example, caramel popcorn has double crunchy sticky caramel which can easily be stuck in your braces.
Read also: Crowded Teeth Braces: Causes, Problems, Treatment
Can you eat hull-less popcorn with braces?
Hull- less popcorn is made by small kernels of popcorn. It has some hulls inside so, no popcorn can be 100 percent free from the hulls. some people say that hull-less popcorn is the best alternative to popcorn that can not stuck in your braces.
But it is not right, some healthcare professionals do not agree with this. Simply you should leave this confusion up to your orthodontist and then eat with the guideline of your orthodontist.
What’s a good replacement snack for popcorn?
There is great good news that there are many other alternatives that you can try with braces.
- Soft-backed cookies, and baked goods
- Potato chips
- Soft cracker
- Carrot chips
- Veggie sticks
- Yogurt
- Strawberry, pear, banana, and other soft fruits.
- Hard-boiled eggs.
- Soft chocolate
Try to choose soft nutritious food with your braces. A small study shows that having braces can also impact your nutritious health so try to eat nutritious food with fiber and carbohydrates.
Foods Not Worth Eating While Wearing Braces
Braces will help you to produce a lovely smile. Please be aware that consuming some kinds of food can harm the wires or brackets and complicate your regular oral hygiene routine as you go on this fascinating road.
Not to panic; ultimately, your orthodontic treatment will all be well worth it! Still, you should focus especially on your diet throughout this period. Let me first discuss the foods you should stay away from.
Read also: Braces Colors: A Complete Guideline
Foods You Should NOT Eat While Wearing Braces
Popcorn
Under braces, popcorn hulls can become caught under where they are somewhat tough to extract. Their inflammation and swelling results from being jammed between teeth and below the gums.
For those with braces, “hulless” popcorn is safer even if you find you cannot live without popcorn. Though its hull is smaller and softer, “hulless” popcorn nonetheless has one.
Acids in drinks
With braces, acidic drinks such soft drinks—including diet sodas—sports drinks, energy drinks and lemonade significantly damage teeth. Once their braces have been taken off, some patients find white patches on their teeth.
These areas allow the enamel to lose its vital minerals, which lets bacteria build cavities. The white patches that result probably will be permanent.
Sticky Treats
Sticky sugar like caramel, taffy, gummy bears and the like can cover your teeth and even help to pull off your braces.
Hardness Candy
Hard candy has wire bending and bracket popping power. Additionally, the sugar might encourage plaque to develop under and around the braces, where cleaning is challenging.
Chewy Meals and Hard Foods
Along with hard, crunchy foods like pizza crust, hard nuts and thick pretzels, chewy foods like bagels and hard rolls can bend wires and pop off brackets.
Braces can be ruined even from healthful fruits and veggies that call for front teeth biting. Among these are apples, corn on the cob, carrots, and plenty other raw foods.
All of this is not to suggest you should totally avoid these fruits and veggies, but you might have to change how you eat them. This is how: Cook vegetables to soften them or cut or slice raw fruits and vegetables into little bits and chew thoroughly.
You can cut corn off the cob; yet, it’s probably going to get caught in your braces. Should this occur, food particles can be removed with an interdental toothbrush—the floss picks with bristles—or a water pick.
Cubes of Ice
While chewing on ice is not good for teeth without braces either, it can cause specific issues for braces, maybe snapping off a bracket or shifting a wire.
Braces: What Foods You CAN Eat?
The good news is that those who wear braces can enjoy most delicious cuisine without restriction. With braces, you still have several of safe dietary options. Out of them:
Popcorn is not the only food that you should avoid when you wear braces. there are many other foods that you should avoid with braces.
- Carrot sticks
- Nuts
- Fried potato chips
- Crispy French- fries
- Hard candy
- Smoothies
- Soups and chili
- Yogurt and other dairy products
- Bananas, strawberries and other soft fruits
- Applesauce
- Oatmeal
- Eggs
- Tuna, baked fish, meatloaf and tofu
- Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- Mac ‘n’ cheese, ravioli and other pasta dishes
- Thin and light crackers or cookies
- Chew candy
- bagels
- pizza crust
- hard pretzels
if you have no choice but to eat hard food then, you can eat them with the recommendation of your orthodontist. And also you can cut them into small pieces. In this way, you can easily bite these slices and can be cured of the harm.
What happens if you eat the wrong things with braces?
When you have braces and you eat things that are not recommended by your orthodontist. Two types of risks you can face.
- First there is a risk of damaging your braces as well as hard and crunchy food can also bend your braces. If hard food gets stuck between your braces and you bite down, your bracket may break off.
- The chances of tooth decay also increase when you eat food that is not recommended with braces.
- Chewy and sticky food is easily stuck between the wires of your braces that are very hard to remove. They can also damage your tooth enamel and create a tooth cavity.
Conclusion
It can feel tough not to eat the popcorn and your favorite snacks during treatment with braces. But the above-mentioned guidelines, what you can eat with your braces provide you a proper and best information with many alternatives for you.
This can eager you to complete your treatment properly and you can eat your favorite snacks after braces.
FAQ’s About Eat Popcorn with Braces
Can eating popcorn while wearing braces result in an orthodontic emergency?
Of course. Should a kernel become caught between your braces, an orthodontic emergency can result. You might also bite down too forcefully on a kernel.
With braces, what soft popcorn flavors should I eat?
Variations in soft popcorn include snowflake, hulless, and mushroom popcorn.
Can I wear braces and enjoy caramel popcorn?
You should steer clear of caramel popcorn. Stuck to your braces, caramel can harm the appliance and/or cause tooth decay.
If I cut the kernels, can I consume popcorn with braces?
If you meticulously and totally remove all the kernels before eating, then you can eat popcorn with braces.
Can one eat movie theater popcorn with braces?
No. Most movie theaters do not have specialist popcorn available for safety consumed while wearing braces. Choose another snack but be careful not to eat sticky things like candies or crunchy items like potato chips.
How Can You Get Popcorn Out of Braces on Your Teeth?
After eating popcorn, brushing, flossing, and rinsing your oral health regimen will help to clear any debris. To ensure all kernels and hulls are removed from your braces, you might have to floss especially carefully.
