Orthodontic care can turn crooked teeth into the smile you have always dreamed of, but it isn’t always easy to live with the brackets and wires that straighten your teeth. Summertime is all about making easy, delicious foods and relaxing with friends, but it can be tricky to eat certain foods when you have braces. Here are three summer foods you should avoid when you have braces, and how to make easy substitutions. 

What Are the Summer Foods to Avoid With Braces?

1. Corn on the Cob

From grilled corn perfected with butter to elote corn finished with parmesan cheese, chili powder, and cilantro, corn on the cob screams “summertime.” However, enjoying it straight off of the cob can be detrimental to your braces, since it can create pressure against your archwires that could pop off your brackets.

If corn on the cob is being served at a summertime barbecue, grab a knife and remove those kernels from the cob to enjoy them with a fork or spoon. Eating corn this way protects your braces, and makes it less likely that corn will become stuck in your front teeth around the brackets. 

2. Crisp Fruit  

Crisp fruits like fresh coconut, apples, and unripe melons can also be difficult to consume if you have braces, especially if you are handed a large slice or a whole apple. Fortunately, there are many other fruits soft enough not to harm your orthodontic work, such as grapes, strawberries, or even cut watermelon. 

3. Meat With Bones

Whether you love chicken wings or your family is grilling ribs, consuming meat with bones could cause surprise orthodontic issues. If you bite down on soft meat and you chomp on a bone instead, your braces could become bent or knocked loose from a dental surface. 

Instead, opt for chicken tenders, tender cuts of steak, or even a hamburger. If the only option is meat with the bones intact, cut the meat away from the bones with a knife and fork before you eat it. 

Whether you are thinking about getting braces or you are concerned about the status of your orthodontic care with another provider, turn to Lamont Jacobs Orthodontics, Inc. As an experienced orthodontist who has been recognized as one of the best in the greater Cincinnati, OH, area, this professional can help you to enjoy the smile you have always wanted. To learn more about how he can help with traditional braces or Invisalign®, visit his website or give his office a call at (513) 829-7045.