Wearing braces requires adjusting habits, and managing food choices is the biggest concern for new patients. Dietary modification protects the delicate brackets and wires from damage. Certain food textures risk damaging the orthodontic hardware, necessitating careful selection of meals and snacks, especially treats like cookies.
Assessing the Safety of Soft Cookies
Genuinely soft cookies are generally acceptable, provided they melt readily and require minimal chewing pressure. Their safety comes from low strength, meaning the cookie yields before the orthodontic cement bond does. This category includes freshly baked or commercially labeled “soft-baked” varieties, such as oatmeal or sugar cookies.
However, the term “soft” can be misleading, and inclusions within the cookie pose the greatest risk. Hard inclusions, such as crystallized toffee pieces, nuts, or very hard chocolate chips, can exert localized force on a bracket, causing it to break away. Overly caramelized or crispy edges on a soft cookie can also be deceptively hard and should be avoided. Even a soft cookie chilled in a refrigerator may harden significantly, making it a poor choice.
Understanding Orthodontic Damage
Orthodontic appliances are susceptible to damage from food through three primary mechanical forces: fracture, bending, and adhesive failure. Hard or crunchy foods, such as nuts or hard candies, generate high compressive forces that can crack the bracket or break the adhesive bond. A broken bracket often requires an unplanned visit for re-bonding.
Tough or chewy foods, like beef jerky or thick bagels, are problematic because they require forceful chewing that can bend the archwire out of shape. A distorted wire applies incorrect forces to the teeth, potentially slowing down treatment progress. Finally, sticky items like caramel or taffy can adhere strongly to the appliance and, upon removal, pull the bracket off, initiating adhesive failure.
Proper Techniques for Eating Treats
To safely enjoy permitted treats like soft cookies, changing the eating technique is essential. The most important rule is to avoid biting directly into the food using the front teeth, which are connected to the most vulnerable brackets and wires. Tearing or cutting treats into small, bite-sized pieces eliminates this high-risk front-tooth pressure.
Instead of using the front teeth, patients should place small pieces directly onto the back molars. Chewing should be done slowly and deliberately, focusing on a gentle grinding motion rather than a forceful crushing action. Since cookies contain sugar, rinsing the mouth immediately with water after consumption is recommended, followed by a thorough brushing and flossing session.