If you have braces or are about to get them, the top of your list of questions is what you can eat. Whether you have traditional metal braces or the Invisalign, it is still very important to know which foods to eat and which to avoid. So, can you eat pizza with braces?
The good news is you can continue eating all the foods you love. Here are tips to ensure you still enjoy your favorite pizza with braces.
What are Dental Braces?
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Orthodontics uses dental braces for various reasons, but the most popular is to correct crooked teeth, also medically referred to as maloccluded teeth. Braces help when the upper and lower front teeth need to be properly aligned or protrude over one another.
While some people may view crooked teeth as a non-issue, others suffer. Then they may need their teeth properly aligned because it causes pain or discomfort when they chew food or speak.
Malocclusion can be genetic or result from teeth injury. Realigned teeth enhance oral health and make cleaning the gums and teeth easier. Braces also help reduce the risk of gingivitis, tooth decay, and tooth breakage.
Advancement of Braces
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Traditional metal braces were not easy to wear; they were uncomfortable and commonly led to injuries in the mouth. Moreover, they were often very unsightly, leading to low self-esteem, especially among adolescents.
Today, wearing braces is much easier because they are inconspicuous. In addition, the brackets are smaller and can sometimes be attached to the back of the teeth. The material used nowadays are also better than the traditional metal wires; braces can be made of ceramic, metals, plastics, or even a combination of different materials.
Day One Of Braces: Can You Eat Pizza?
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Technically, you can eat pizza on the first day of braces, but it is not recommended. Eating pizza with braces can be difficult when you have sensitive teeth and gums. In addition, eating sticky foods that can easily get stuck between your wires and brackets might stress your new braces and cause damage.
Therefore, on your first day of braces, you should take proper care of your teeth and gum by avoiding any hard foods. Too much pressure on the new braces also triggers discomfort and pain in your teeth and gum. Therefore, it is important to avoid pizza or any other foods that are sticky and chewy in the first few days. Doing this will allow you the time to fully adjust to the new braces before you can enjoy pizza again!
Week One Of Braces: Can You Eat Pizza?
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After the first week, you gradually start feeling comfortable with the braces on. But can you eat pizza with braces after the first week? As mentioned earlier, it is wise to take proper care of your braces to avoid damage. You can still enjoy your favorite foods, especially after the first week. However, you will still need to be careful with hard and chewy foods like pizza.
If you can’t do without it, cutting your pieces into small bites is best to ensure it’s easier on your braces. With proper planning and extra care, you will not have to avoid pizza with braces. Another way to ensure you still enjoy pizza despite bracing is by avoiding hard toppings. Instead, go for a soft-crust pizza with easy-to-chew pizza toppings.
Avoid hard or chewy toppings such as dried fruits and nuts. With a few tips, you should be able to enjoy eating pizza with braces.
Is It Possible For Pizza To Warp And Crack Braces?
Pizza is amongst the most popular foods globally, with several varieties, from vegetables to meaty pepperoni pizza. Unfortunately, everyone has a pizza preference, and getting braces can threaten this indulgence to some extent.
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Your wires and brackets can prove to be very delicate. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you eat only brace-friendly foods. So, can you eat pizza with braces? As mentioned earlier, you can still enjoy your favorite toppings on soft-crust pizza with braces. However, hard crusts can easily damage the brackets and wires and lead to discomfort and even pain.
It is easy for pizza to crack braces when you eat without being careful. Sticky pizza, like loaded cheese pizza, can easily get stuck between the teeth or the brackets, making cleaning difficult and damaging. Nonetheless, a tougher crust can be a major reason to worry; not only is it possible to warp and crack braces. So if you crave pizza, ensure that you go for thin-crust pizza with softer toppings.
Which Types of Pizzas Should You Avoid With Braces?
After getting your braces, you have to take extra care of your dental health to ensure that you benefit from the orthodontic procedure. Like all other foods you have to be keener with, there are some pizzas you may have to forego. The following are a few of the reasons why individual pizzas are bad options while you have your braces on:
1. Hard Bread
There are different kinds of pizza, one of them being the one with a tougher crust or hard bread. While this might be your favorite pizza, you must avoid it when you get your braces. Chewing the hard pizza bread can cause stress on the brackets and either weaken the bonds or lead to cracking.
2. Raw and Hard Vegetables
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There are numerous options of pizzas to choose from, with various toppings. Go for softer toppings that will be easy on the braces. Avoid toppings that are hard to chew, like raw vegetables and fruits. And as you eat, ensure you stick to smaller bites to lessen unnecessary pressure on the braces.
3. Meat
Meaty pizza is popular amongst pizza lovers. However, the pieces of meat on the pizza may not be friendly to braces. One example of meat in pizza that is not good for braces is overcooked pepperoni.
Moreover, when the meat pieces get stuck between the braces and your teeth, cleaning and removing them is usually very difficult. This is because tooth cavities or sensitivity can occur when the meat remains stuck for a long time.
4. Crispy Chicken
Chicken is soft and easy on your braces. However, the braces begin to hurt when you order a crispy chicken. When chicken is crispy, it hardens and becomes harder for the braces to handle without exerting pressure.
5. Sticky or Hard Cheese
Sticky or hard cheese is highly discouraged when you have your braces. Avoid anything sticky because they can easily cause damage to your brackets and wires. Sticky cheese will adhere to the wires and brackets.
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Any pizza with pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese can cause serious damage to the braces. Mozzarella cheese, on the other hand, doesn’t stick or cause damage to the braces. Nonetheless, it’s better to avoid it because cleaning it completely from your teeth and braces will be challenging. Ensure you always floss properly after having any cheesy pizza with braces.
6. High acid condiments
Generally, acidic food is not good for your teeth, so avoid this group of foods after getting braces. Also, avoid adding things like ketchup, pizza sauce, tomato sauce, mustard, and other condiments made of tomatoes when you eat with braces. Tomatoes are highly acidic and can easily result in stained and unhealthy teeth.
How to eat pizza with braces?
The following are the different ways you can eat pizza with braces:
1. Make Small Slices
Braces cause your teeth to be sensitive; therefore, after getting them, you have to adjust your lifestyle to them. For example, when eating pizza with braces, use your fork and knife to cut it into small pieces. The small portions will be gentler on your teeth and braces than taking a big bite of a whole slice.
2. Bite And Chew Slowly
Everyone is curiously wondering, can you eat pizza with braces? Yes, but you have to learn to chew slowly. Eating your pizza fast can easily result in broken braces and mouth injury.
3. Soft Bread
Remember that whenever you order your pizza, ensure that you go for thin and soft-crust pizza. This is because pizza crusts are the main reason most of the variety of pizza can be bad for your braces. Noteworthy, if you go for a tougher crust, then even if you cut it into small pieces, it will still cause harm to your braces.
4. Be Aware of Toppings or Ingredients
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The wrong pizza toppings can also damage your braces. Ensure you always order soft toppings and avoid raw vegetables and other hard toppings. They must be easy to chew, soft, and not sticky.
The following are brace-friendly pizza toppings:
i. Soft Vegetables
Vegetable pizza is a safe bet compared to other kinds of pizzas. However, ensure that it is not hard for vegetables and that they are not sticky. Try out some of the best vegan cheese pizza recipes, but ensure they are soft.
ii. Soft Chicken Slices
Chicken pizza is another safe option when ordering pizza after getting braces. The only trick is to ensure that the pieces are as small as possible and that it is soft and not crispy chicken.
iii. Other Toppings
The key feature of brace-friendly toppings is that they are soft and easy to chew. Soft small mushroom toppings, pizza with crumbled bacon, and thin sliced pepperoni pizza are other ingredients you can enjoy with braces.
5. Homemade Pizza
Making pizza at home means you get to choose everything that goes on it. Moreover, you can enjoy soft crust pan pizza instead of the wood-fired oven that mostly results in hard crusts. And if you have any of the best pizza indoor pizza ovens, then you can still enjoy your pizza without worry.
6. Low Acidic Condiments
Cream-based condiments are safer options compared to tomato sauce and the like. You can choose to have guacamole and mayo, which are less acidic and safe for braces.
7. Floss After Eating
When you have braces on, your oral hygiene has to be a notch higher than it would normally be. After eating food like pizza, ensure that you floss properly. Remember, there is a specific way of flossing with braces, to consult.
How To Know if Your Braces Are Damaged
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Broken or damaged braces are not difficult to spot. A simple look in the mirror will help you notice protruding wires, hanging bands, and missing brackets. And even before you do, someone else will probably point it out to you because it’ll be easy to spot.
In cases where the damaged brace is at the molars, you will likely feel sudden discomfort. You can also feel something rubbing your inner cheeks or gums if any of your bands hang off the molars. Whatever the case, problematic braces are easy to spot because broken braces often occur due to our actions.
The orthodontist will have probably told you severally about what to eat and what not to eat. They will also guide you on how to maintain your braces properly.
Nonetheless, we are always into temptations, and you may find yourself biting down a hard candy, then suddenly you feel a twinge. The twinge is usually a strong indicator that damage has occurred. So don’t waste time; take a mirror and check your teeth properly to ensure nothing is a miss. Remember, damaged braces are popular due to something you have done.
Now, it is true that, most often than not, braces break because of the choices we make. However, it is common to have them break even when you have been extra careful. It can be difficult to spot when this happens, especially before any pain or discomfort begins. Therefore, it is helpful to have a visual reference from when you had adjustments done: this is a sure way to know if something looks out of place or if there is nothing to worry about.
Conclusion
Can you eat pizza with braces? The answer is yes, you can. However, you must be careful not to damage the braces with pizza or other foods. Ensure you cut them into small portions, chew slowly, and avoid sticky foods. A thin pizza crust is better than hard, chewy ones. Find out the best flour for the different styles, types and crusts for pizza, and make what you need.
You will realize that will a little care and responsibility; you will be able to eat pizza with braces. With soft crusts, there will be no pressure on your braces, and it will be easier to prevent damage and injury when you eat pizza with braces. Ultimately, ensure that you consult your orthodontist for directions whenever there is a concern.
