Festive Food Rules for braces or Invisalign

 

Is your festive menu naughty or nice? ‘Brace’ yourself for a few rules for Christmas eating

 

Let’s be honest, the real meaning of Christmas is Chocolate Oranges and turkey sandwiches. If you’ve recently had braces or Invisalign fitted and are wondering how you can still enjoy the festive season without a care in the world, worry not!. There are still plenty of things you CAN eat at Christmas. It’s just a case of making the right choices. Take a little care and you’ll be sure of staying out of the dentist’s chair and off Santa’s naughty list.

 

 

The naughty list

Here are a few things to avoid

 

Candy canes (and other hard sweets)

These can cause damage to the wire and brackets of braces. Also not good for Invisalign as even though you remove them to eat, your teeth are more susceptible to damage during treatment.

 

Nuts

Some, like softish walnuts might be ok, but you’re better off avoiding them for the most part as they can be very hard and cause damage easily.

 

Toffees (and other sticky things)

Obviously toffees are a dentist’s worst enemy. As well as causing breakages, they really adhere themselves to your teeth and can get stuck behind wires, making them hard to clean. They’re also best avoided if you wear Invisalign as they leave a sticky residue behind which can then ‘sit between’ the teeth and the retainer.

 

Christmas pud

Look, it’s not the absolute worst if you really want to indulge but it’s a ‘sticky’ (see above) and if there’s any danger of someone having hidden 20 pence pieces in it, give it a body swerve.

 

Gingerbread (men, women, houses and anything else)

Especially if homemade, gingerbread can be either very chewy or very hard. Paul Hollywood would not give you a handshake for any of it and neither would your dentist. Give other crunchy Christmas biccies (such as biscotti) a miss too. Shortbread is your friend, where biccies are concerned.

 

Ice

Hopefully you’re not crunching your way through multiple ice cubes like an angry Princess Elsa at a party, but do be aware of them in festive drinks. Let it go, Elsa. Crunching ice cubes can easily break braces, and your teeth are a bit more fragile during Invisalign treatment so you’re more likely to chip or damage a tooth even when your retainers are safely tucked up in their container. So leave aside the ice, ice baby. Or at least leave it at the bottom of your drink.

 

Highly coloured drinks

There’s no time like Christmas to make you think a Tizer and cranberry juice is a great idea. Particularly if you have Invisalign, you need to stick to clear-coloured drinks as much as you can. No crying into your rum and Coke, though, grown-ups. Proseccos is on the ‘clear drinks’ list.

 

Crunchy buffet items

You’d think you’d get a pat on the head for eating the raw carrots and celery at a buffet, wouldn’t you? Not so. But you can comfort yourself with the fact that this is the only time you can mainline sausage rolls and chicken nuggets and tell yourself you’ve made the sensible choice.

 

Popcorn

Those kernels get RIGHT in your teeth and it’s easy to break a brace on them, too. Swap them for mini marshmallows and enjoy your Hallmark movie without worries.

 

 

The nice list

There are plenty of festive foods you can continue to indulge in…

 

A slap-up roast

Cooked meat and veggies are all good so you won’t have to go without your Christmas dinner. And unless your mum’s gravy is particularly lumpy, you should be fine with that, too.

 

Most of the cheeseboard

Cheese is all good - in fact a slice of cheddar is an excellent way to neutralise acid in the mouth (fun dental fact for you). Soft cheeses are obviously an excellent choice, too. Just go carefully on the crackers and crusty bread.

 

Charcuterie

Cured meats are usually nice and soft. They do tend to get stuck between your teeth a bit so give them a thorough clean afterwards.

 

Fish and seafood

Yes! Prawns, lobster, smoked salmon and other fishy festive fare are all on the menu so this is your Christmas to enjoy the finer things in life.

 

Soft sweets and chocs

We can’t say it enough, STEP AWAY from the Toffee Pennies. But if you’re perusing the Quality Street tin and wear braces or aligners, we say milk this opportunity for all it’s worth… Everyone knows the Strawberry and Orange Creams are the best ones. This Christmas they’re ALL FOR YOU. And the Green Triangles, too, at a push. Tell your family and friends that you need Selection Box Allies this season and bag all the best soft choccies. This year, you are the Quality Street MVP. Other, less important, Christmas guests are welcome to hoover up the rubbish coconut ones and Peanut Cracknell when you have finished feasting at the tin.

 

Remember - if you have a festive fluff-up and break something, just let us know as soon as possible. We’re always happy to help. Yes, even on Christmas.

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