When you’re a candidate for orthodontic treatment, you know many lifestyle changes are coming your way.
One of the biggest changes you have to bring to your lifestyle while getting braces is to change your dietary habits. You will not be able to consume many of your favorite food items — but this doesn’t mean your diet has to be boring!
One of the ways you can get creative with your diet is to experiment with smoothies — since smoothies are in liquid form, they are softer on your teeth.
Here are a few smoothie ingredients that are braces-friendly:
1.Yogurt
Yogurt has two very interesting superpowers — it is the most commonly used base for healthy smoothies, and it also helps to improve your oral health.
Yogurt contains probiotics, i.e., good bacteria, which helps to slow down cavity-causing bacteria, and the bacteria which causes gum diseases.
Not only that, yogurt is high in calcium, so it helps keep your teeth healthy, helps prevent tooth decay, and helps keep the enamel strong.
- Bananas
Bananas are synonymous with smoothies and good for your oral health too.
Bananas are packed vitamins, minerals, and potassium. Since potassium improves bone mineral density, it helps you give that extra-layer of strength to your teeth when you have braces.
Potassium and magnesium also help control the acidity of blood. This helps stop the leching of calcium from your bones and teeth.
- Blueberries
Blueberries are great for oral health. Blueberries have antioxidants called proanthocyanidins (PACs), which helps fight bacteria that cause gum disease and protect oral macrophages, (white blood cells that are crucial to the immune system.)
- Rolled Oats
If you are trying to make the perfect breakfast smoothie recipe, rolled oats are your new best friend. Oats are soft, creamy; they taste great with almost any other smoothie ingredient, and they are also good for oral health. They are very nutritious — they are loaded with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They contain high amounts of phosphorus, which helps strengthen your teeth and bones; and magnesium, which helps strengthen the enamel on your teeth and will help prevent the formation of cavities.
- Mango
Mangoes are great smoothie ingredients because they taste great with a combination of a variety of other fruits. Mangoes are also rich in vitamin A, which helps keep your mucous membranes healthy. Vitamin C, which helps to eliminate bad breath, treat bleeding gums, and lowers the risk of tooth cavities.
- Apples
Apples are really hard to eat for people with braces, but applesauce is a great ingredient for smoothies. Apples are very nutritious and as the old saying goes, ‘An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.’ But apples are tough to eat for people with braces — but you can always add them to your smoothies! Apples also benefit you with the goodness of vitamin A, which helps prevent dry mouth and boost your immunity.
- Cinnamon Powder
Not only does cinnamon taste great in smoothies, but it also has potent anti-inflammatory properties that help you fight inflammation of the gums. If you have just got braces, and your teeth and gums are still a bit tender, so try adding cinnamon powder to your braces-friendly smoothies. This will help fight inflammation, and its antimicrobial effects will help you fight dental plaque and bad breath.
The list of foods that you should avoid because you have braces is endless. But if you are planning to put ingredients like strawberries (strawberry seeds might get stuck in your braces) or peanut butter (peanut butter is very sticky for teeth) or even chia seeds, — use a straw.
A straw will make sure you can still consume your favorite food, while still being extra careful that nothing gets stuck in your braces. You need to make sure you have a strict oral hygiene routine in place when you have braces because good oral health is essential to getting your teeth straightened.
