Table of contents:
- Various foods that are challenged after installing the stirrup
- 1. Fruit and hard vegetables
- 2. Red meat
- 3. Whole nuts, seeds, and grains
- 4. Food is chewy and sticky
Usually, installing braces will make your teeth more sensitive, and can even cause pain when eating and drinking. In addition, the food you eat also affects the process of restoring your teeth and the resistance of the braces. This is why dentists usually advise you to avoid certain types of food after putting on the stirrup.
Various foods that are challenged after installing the stirrup
The following types of food need to be avoided for a while so as not to cause damage to the braces or get caught between inaccessible tooth gaps.
1. Fruit and hard vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamins and minerals for the body. However, you need to pay attention to the types of fruits and vegetables consumed after installing the stirrup. Do not choose hard fruits and vegetables so that they do not deform the curls of the braces and prevent certain parts of the stirrups from breaking.
In the meantime, avoid consuming apples, pears, carrots, broccoli, jicama, and fruits and vegetables that are still raw. If you still want to eat these types of fruits and vegetables, you can steam them first until they get a softer texture.
2. Red meat
Red meat has many health benefits, but you need to avoid them after putting on the stirrup. Red meat consists of a lot of coarse fiber, which makes it difficult to chew and can get stuck in the teeth. Chewing tough red meat can also cause pain and result in loosening of the braces around the molars.
You can eat other alternatives such as chicken, fish, or vegetable protein sources in the form of tofu and tempeh. Even if you need to eat red meat, choose lean cuts of meat that are soft and cut into small pieces before processing to make them more tender.
3. Whole nuts, seeds, and grains
Nuts and seeds are small in size and have a hard texture, so they are not recommended to be consumed after installing the stirrup. Forcing your teeth to chew nuts and seeds increases the risk of crooked braces and leads to the wrong position of your teeth.
Most whole grains like oats, flaxseeds, and chia seeds also need to be avoided for a while. The reason is, these seeds are very small so they are easier to slip into the cracks of the stirrup and difficult to remove. In order to still be able to get the benefits, you can eat nuts in the form of jam or grinded grains.
4. Food is chewy and sticky
Not just candy, anything that is chewy and sticky texture is a big no-no after stirring. This type of food or snack with a texture like this can stick between the cracks of the stirrup and is difficult to clean. As a result, the surface of the stirrup and teeth can be damaged.
Soft textured foods like cheese, which are supposed to be friendly with stirrups, can also become sticky when chewed. Although the texture does not damage the stirrup, you need to be careful in choosing the type of cheese to avoid the risk of sticking to the stirrup and teeth cracks.
Teeth with braces are very prone to decay due to food scraps and lack of hygiene. This is why stirrup users should be extra careful in caring for the stirrup and choosing food, especially during the first few weeks after installing the stirrup.
Even though there are restrictions in food consumption, that doesn't mean you can't eat a varied and nutritionally balanced diet. You can work around this by choosing alternative food ingredients that contain similar nutrients, or cooking them in advance so that they are not difficult to chew.
