Fat Tuesday is one of those sneaky holidays that gives everyone an excuse to overindulge. If you wear braces, the temptations to eat what you shouldn’t are still just as dangerous as always and can potentially destroy orthodontia. You might find yourself at the orthodontist asking for help with broken brackets or wires if you don’t protect your braces.
Braces-Wearers Avoid These Fat Tuesday Foods
Fat Tuesday is the last day of Mardi Gras and Carnaval. It’s the last hurrah before the fasting season of Lent begins the day after, on Ash Wednesday. Plenty of people enjoy an opportunity to dig into their favorite sweets and treats, but certain foodstuffs can cause orthodontic problems.
You won’t be surprised to discover that orthodontists often see patients because they have allowed themselves to dig into hard candies and gummy sweets, and the following troublemakers are earmarked for Fat Tuesday:
- Sticky cakes. The King Cake is typical on Fat Tuesday, but depending on how this cake is made and decorated, its marzipan frosting or fruitcake-like density can stick around in hardware (including expanders).
- Bread with a hard crust. This kind of bread might be found in a muffaletta sandwich, a feast packed full of cured meats and difficult to take bites of with or without braces.
- Chewy pretzels. Warm and tempting, the big, soft pretzels dipped in sweet or savory sauces are only safe when the pretzels are super-soft. Even then, the texture of pretzels can be problematic for braces-wearers. Brazilian cheese puffs, notoriously delightful, can also be too chewy.
- Sugary drinks. Tweens and teens may want sodas and juices, while adults gravitate toward celebratory Hurricanes. No matter what you’re drinking, a high sugar content is bad for teeth and decay can put a dent in orthodontics while you wait to have a cavity treated.
Celebrate with Safe Foods That Protect Your Braces
There are plenty of festive foods you can enjoy on Fat Tuesday (and anytime) that pose a limited threat to brackets and wires and can even be soothing to sore teeth on the days you’ve gotten your wires tightened. These include:
- Gumbo or jambalaya. Slow-cooker meals served with rice or seafood are soft and gentle on teeth and easy to manage without having to gnaw on tough pieces of meat.
- Blinis. Mini pancakes topped with soft cheese and thinly sliced veggies, blinis are easy one-bite appetizers that are easy to chew.
- Crepes. More pancakes! These are tortilla-like, but airy thin and rolled with fruit, jam, chocolate, or chocolate sauce inside.
- Beignets. The softest, lightest, airiest pastry you’ll ever eat, a beignet is ideal for any mouth full of orthodontics (as long as you brush afterward).
Protect Your Braces Through Your Entire Treatment
Never hesitate to ask your orthodontic team about foods that are safe for your hardware. The goal is to get you through your treatment without any trouble and with minimal disappointments.
Find out everything you need to know about living and eating with braces from Soleil Orthodontics in Woodinville, WA. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
