Everyone loves to eat popcorn while watching movies, visiting cinemas, gossiping late at night, and on many other occasions. But the people with braces have to think twice before eating popcorn or any other prohibited food item before eating. Your favorite popcorn is something that can harm your teeth, gums and braces due to many reasons. This article will cover everything that lies under the umbrella of eating popcorns with braces.
While wearing braces, you are advised to avoid eating popcorns due to the following reasons:
- It can potentially affect your teeth.
- It can damage your gums.
- It can break your braces.
Reasons To Avoid Eating Popcorns With Braces
The key reason to avoid eating popcorn with braces is its difficult and complex chewing. The kernel of the popcorn can break your brackets or wire due to its hardness. It is a sticky food item so when you eat popcorn, there are obvious chances to get the pieces stuck between your teeth and braces, making it difficult to brush and clean. Consider the following key points in this regard:
Hardness of Kernels
We are all familiar with the hardness of kernels as they make us feel uncomfortable while chewing even without braces. It is no wonder if eating popcorn with braces results in breaking your braces or any part of it.
Sticky Stuff
Wearing braces on your teeth increases the chances for caramel and kernel to get stuck between the spaces of your teeth and braces. And if you fail to clean those things from your teeth due to difficult cleaning, it is going to invite a new orthodontic treatment due to the production of bacteria inside your mouth.
Hard To Clean
Brushing your teeth with braces is quite tricky, you need to clean your teeth regularly after every meal through proper brushing with an extended flossing to avoid gum diseases.
Increased Pain, Bacteria, Smell, And Sensitivity
When you brush your teeth after eating something like popcorn with braces, you will come to know that it is not easy. Now, in any case if you fail to clean those impurities from your teeth or braces, the plaque and bacteria will invite more pain, foul smell, and other gum diseases like gingivitis.
Tooth Decay, White Spots, And Gingivitis
If you are seriously concerned about your treatment, you will not exploit it by only eating a thing like popcorn. Popcorn is a healthy snack in normal circumstances but during treatment and while wearing braces it can give rise to problems like tooth decay due to bacteria, gingivitis due to untidy teeth, and white spots due to broken enamel.
Why Do People Eat Popcorn With Braces?
Popcorn is a kind of global snack which people like to eat at nights watching movies, having fun with family and friends and simply because they are really healthy to eat. We truly understand and honor your love for popcorn and if you really want to eat them even with braces then following are the basic things to take care of while eating popcorn with braces:
- Try to get kernel free popcorn.
- Your popcorn should not not be overcooked as overcooking makes it more hard to chew.
- You should make up your mind to try other alternatives like rice crisps, soft fruits, soft vegetables and snacks.
Tips To Eat Popcorn With Braces
After exploring the above discussion, you might have discovered the cons of eating popcorns with braces. Now, we will share some efficient tips to eat popcorn with braces. Following are the two tips concerning the issue:
- Always stay focused about the cleaning of your teeth after eating by the efficient brushing at the recommended angle of 45 degrees.
- As you know, after eating something like popcorn, brushing won’t be enough to clean the stuck particles. This is why you are advised to make flossing your habit, when it comes to cleaning your teeth with braces.
- Try to chew things gently and slowly in comparison to your normal chewing while eating with braces.
How To Get The Stuck Food Particles Out of Your Braces?
If you have eaten popcorn while your braces were on, the next thing is to clean your teeth and remove the stuck particles completely. Following suggestions will help you to clean your teeth after eating sticky or hard food items like popcorn:
- To loosen the stuck particles, rinse and swish the lukewarm water for 3 to 4 times.
- Wash your toothbrush with warm water before brushing. Move your brush downwards to remove the stuck particles.
- Flossing is an efficient way to get the stuck particles out of your braces.
- If brushing and flossing do not produce the desired result, the next option is to waterpik your teeth to clear out the stitch particles from your mouth.
- If nothing works as desired, contact and visit your orthodontist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which snacks are safe to eat with braces?
You can eat anything that is soft and easy to chew. You can eat many snacks which are safe to eat with braces including: chocolate bars, ice cream, brownies, pudding, jelly, cake, soft biscuits, and frozen yogurt.
A thorough cleaning of your teeth after every meal is highly recommended.
Can eating popcorn break my braces?
Eating popcorn can definitely break your braces completely or at least any part of it including wire and brackets due to the hard kernel of the popcorn. The orthodontists have advised to avoid eating them with braces.
Is it permissible to eat soft popcorns with braces?
When it comes to the dentist’s recommendation, all types of popcorn are prohibited including soft popcorn as they may get stuck between the spaces and cause many gum diseases. Things like popcorn, if eaten with braces, are comparatively very hard to clean.