Especially when patients first begin their orthodontic braces treatment, they may be wondering about which foods to eat and which to avoid. In this video, Diamond Braces treatment coordinator Elina Shnayderman lets you know about eating ice cream with braces.
Ice Cream is Safe to Eat with Braces
Yes, ice cream is safe to eat with braces! However, when you first get your braces on your teeth, you may experience extra sensitivity on your teeth – so cold ice cream may hurt your teeth for the first few days by biting into it. If you try eating ice cream and find your teeth are too sensitive, just wait a few days. Read up here on what to eat in the first few days of your braces.
One thing to look out for with ice cream and braces, though, is added ingredients: nuts, candy pieces, or other added items that may be hard or sticky and thus dangerous for your braces. Remember, hard or sticky foods can get stuck between your braces and be difficult to remove. Or, biting down on them can cause pressure and strain or break your brackets or wires.
Look out for the ingredients in ice cream – if there are hard nuts or sticky candies in it, be extra careful when eating it, or choose another flavor so you don’t have to worry about breaking your braces.
Brush Your Teeth After Eating Ice Cream with Braces
Whatever flavor of ice cream, they all have one thing in common: lots of sugar. Sugar is never good for your teeth, and letting it sit on your teeth can cause plaque or bacteria build-up, leading to tooth decay.
This is especially important to avoid when wearing braces: the brackets and wires cause more opportunities for bacteria to get stuck, so brushing and flossing daily is critically important to proper braces care! Read up on more daily hygiene routine tips.
After you eat ice cream, it’s a good idea to brush your teeth immediately afterward, to remove the sugar from your teeth, and keep your mouth and braces clean and healthy!
In sum: ice cream is safe to eat as long as it doesn’t contain hard nuts or sticky candies, and remember to brush afterward!
Read the full guide here on what to eat and what to skip with braces treatment.
