5 Things To Consider Avoiding With Braces – Braces Las Vegas

Braces are a great temporary addition to your mouth for a variety of reasons – the largest reason being because they improve the aesthetics of your teeth by straightening them. Studies have actually shown that having straighter teeth does matter in our society. Unfortunately, braces have a downside as well (but remember it’s only temporary!). We have compiled a list for you of 8 things you should consider avoiding with braces.

1. Certain Foods

Foods can be a tricky subject for those with braces, especially to anyone new. You can check out our post on foods to avoid with braces, but there’s one in particular: gum. If you chew gum with braces, you’ll find yourself trying to dig it out piece by piece. All it takes is one bad experience and you will probably never chew gum with braces again.

Apples also pose another problem. They aren’t sticky, but biting into an apple with braces could potentially cause damage to the brackets. If you’re going to eat an apple, then cut it into smaller pieces and chew slowly.

2. Sports

Unless you’re committed to a team, you should probably try to avoid playing sports while you straighten out your teeth. Orthodontic mouth guards do exist to help, but sports and braces generally just do not mix.

3. Red Bands

A lot of people find fun in customizing the color corrective bands they want to use with their braces. Our suggestion is to avoid the color red simply because people have reported that it makes their mouths appear as if they were bleeding – making for a highly unattractive appearance.

4. Playing With Large Dogs

A lot of us absolutely love dogs (we do!), but sometimes playing with a large dog isn’t in the best of our interests. Large dogs may get too excited and jump onto you – sometimes into your face – accidentally, causing damage to your orthodontic braces.

5. Certain Drinks

We also offer a post on drinks to avoid with braces, but the one drink you should consider dropping – both for braces and for your oral health – is soda. The chemicals in most sodas can eat away at your teeth and your orthodontic appliances. It’s really just best to avoid soda altogether.

*This post is meant for those with traditional metal braces. Those with Invisalign® braces do not experience the same problems.