It’s almost time for Thanksgiving, and you must be wondering – what can I eat this holiday with my braces or attachments on my teeth?
Thanksgiving with braces can still be as wonderful of an experience as it was before, and you can still eat lots of delicious foods! It may take some adjusting of your meal choices and eating habits, but here are some great tips to help you enjoy Thanksgiving while still taking care of your braces!
- Choose Soft Foods – Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to choose soft foods! With all your choices of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing (without hard chunks), and green bean or corn casseroles, you have plenty of excellent braces friendly options.
- Cutting Turkey into Small Pieces – You can still enjoy a classic Thanksgiving turkey with your friends and family by cutting it into small pieces to avoid putting too much pressure on the brackets. Make sure to avoid any pieces with bones so you’re not gnawing on anything hard!
- Gravy – Gravy, while being a great addition for your taste buds, can make your meal softer and easier on your braces. Pour it over your turkey, mashed potatoes, and other dishes. Indulge in lots of this!
- Cranberry Sauce – While generally soft and okay for your braces, cranberry sauce might have chunks or seeds, so be extra mindful of this when choosing what to add to your plate.
- Steamed Vegetables – Steamed veggies like carrots, peas, and broccoli are easy to chew and offer a healthy nutritious side to your meal. We give this dish an A+ in food choice!
- Avoid Hard and Sticky Foods, Skip the Nuts – Nuts can be a challenge to eat with braces. Avoid nut-based dishes like pecan pie or nut stuffing. While you’re at this, stay away from all hard or sticky foods like toffee, caramel, or crunchy appetizers. These foods can get stuck in your braces or damage wires and brackets.
- Desserts – You can still get yourself a sweet treat even with extra things on your teeth! Soft desserts like pumpkin pie, pudding, or ice cream are a good choice. We always recommend ice cream, especially if you have new braces or recently got an adjustment and could use some relief to your soreness! Pumpkin pie is okay as the pumpkin is nice and soft, but be careful with chewing hard crusts.
- Cut Your Food – As always, cut your food into smaller pieces when you can. This will always make it easier for you to chew with braces on and makes it a little more friendly to avoid any damage.
Just like any other day, you will always want to maintain your good oral hygiene. Make sure you brush your teeth and clean your mouth and braces thoroughly after the meal. If you wear clear aligners, make sure that you’re brushing your teeth before putting your aligners back in after every course or if you have any non-water drinks! If you’re traveling or visiting friends and family for your Thanksgiving meal, bring a travel toothbrush, floss, and mouthwash with you! You might also want to bring some wax, just in case anything does happen, and a wire or bracket starts to bother you. This will offer some temporary relief in case you may need it!
We know that while Thanksgiving is about enjoying the company of those you love and being thankful, it is also about the food. It can be limiting when you have braces, but if you are being mindful, you can still eat yummy foods and have a wonderful Thanksgiving experience even with your braces!
Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us to you! We are thankful you are a part of our DJC family.