Getting braces is a significant step toward achieving a straighter, healthier smile. This initial appointment, often referred to as “bonding day,” involves the attachment of brackets and wires to your teeth. Since this procedure requires meticulous placement and careful preparation, the appointment is typically longer than a routine check-up, often lasting between one to two hours or more. Proper preparation for this extended period is fundamental to maintaining your comfort and ensuring a smooth start to your treatment.
Why Eating Before Your Appointment Is Recommended
The short answer to whether you can eat before getting braces is a definitive yes, and it is strongly encouraged. Undergoing a lengthy procedure on an empty stomach can lead to restlessness or anxiety, making it difficult to focus and remain relaxed. Eating a substantial meal beforehand provides sustained energy, which helps you stay comfortable and cooperative throughout the bonding process.
Teeth often become sensitive and sore shortly after the braces are placed, as the wires begin to exert pressure to initiate tooth movement. Once this soreness begins, usually a few hours post-appointment, eating anything solid becomes difficult for a day or two. Therefore, the pre-procedure meal is your last opportunity to eat comfortably for a while, providing necessary nourishment. It is also wise to eat before your appointment if you plan to take an over-the-counter pain reliever, as these medications are best taken with food.
Food Choices Before Your Appointment
While eating is recommended, the type of food you choose for this pre-appointment meal is important to ensure the successful placement of the brackets. The bonding process relies on a clean, debris-free tooth surface for the adhesive to cure properly and securely. Lingering food particles, especially those trapped between teeth, can compromise the bond strength and lead to a loose bracket soon after placement.
Select filling, non-messy options that are easy to brush away completely. Foods like scrambled eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, and soft fruits are excellent choices that provide energy without leaving sticky or fibrous residue. Avoid foods that are crunchy, sticky, or contain small seeds, such as popcorn, nuts, granola bars, or sesame-seed buns. Even after thorough brushing, small fragments from these foods can remain lodged and interfere with the bonding agent. Always brush and floss meticulously right before your appointment to give your orthodontist the cleanest possible surface.
Planning Your First Meal With Braces
After the braces are successfully bonded, expect some discomfort and sensitivity, particularly when trying to chew. This initial tenderness usually sets in a few hours after the appointment and can last for 48 hours or more as your mouth adjusts to the new appliance. For this period, meal planning should focus on foods that require minimal to no chewing effort to prevent unnecessary strain on your newly aligned teeth.
Extremely soft, liquid, or semi-liquid foods are the best options:
- Smoothies
- Mashed potatoes
- Soft soups
- Pudding
- Scrambled eggs
You may also find that soft-cooked pasta or flaky fish, like salmon, is tolerable, provided you cut everything into very small, manageable pieces. Cutting food this way helps bypass the need to bite with sensitive front teeth and allows the gentler chewing action of your back teeth to handle the food. Staying well-hydrated and having soft foods and pain relievers ready at home will help you manage the first few days of your orthodontic journey smoothly.