Once you get braces on your teeth, you tend to worry about how to keep your teeth healthy and prevent your braces from getting damaged. “Can I eat pickles with braces?” you may ask.
Can I eat pickles with braces?
You should avoid eating pickles with braces, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to use your teeth to bite down on the pickle. If you really must have your pickles, then cut them into small bite-sized pieces before putting them in your mouth.
Otherwise, pickle particles can get lodged into various spaces around the bracket and wire of your brace, which can encourage the build-up of plaque.
Tips to keep your braces clean
Eating pickles with braces could cause plaque, which may discolor your teeth and erode tooth enamel. Keep your teeth in good health by following these guidelines.
- Make use of a gentle toothbrush. It’s critical to keep the upper section of your teeth clean between your brackets and gums. To remove the pickle particles correctly, the toothbrush bristles must contact the gums. To prevent irritating gums, use a brush with softer bristles and aim it toward them.
- After every meal, brush your teeth. The brace wires catch pickle debris, and cleaning often will help prevent plaque. A travel toothbrush is recommended. If you don’t have one, rinse for 30 seconds with water. Brushing after acidic meals is an exception. After consuming foods like oranges or sports drinks, you should wait 30 minutes to an hour before cleaning your teeth to avoid softening the enamel.
- Use only a small amount of toothpaste. Toothpaste foam might make it more difficult to notice plaque and small pickle particles. Start cleaning your teeth with a moist toothbrush to go around the brackets and between the wires. Rather than scrubbing, employ a fine-toothed picking motion. After that, use a pea-sized quantity of toothpaste and clean as usual.
- Brush your teeth twice a day for a total of two minutes. Spend 30 seconds on the upper right, lower right, upper left, and lower left parts of your mouth. Clean both the outside and inside of your teeth. Set a timer to ensure that you brush for the entire two minutes.
- Use a floss threader or a Waterpik to do this. Flossing is one of the most difficult aspects of teeth care when wearing braces. If you tie it to a threader, it will be easier to guide the floss through the wire. To get rid of even more plaque, use a sawing motion. Also, think about getting a Waterpik water flosser. It flosses quickly and easily with a stream of water.
- At night, rinse your mouth with mouthwash. Look for a fluoride mouthwash with anti-cavity properties to help prevent tooth decay and protect enamel. A one-minute rinse can help remove any leftover pickle particles. After rinsing, look in the mirror to see if you’ve missed anything.
Conclusion:
While eating pickles with braces on might not seem like a bad idea, it could potentially cause your braces to misalign, leading to unwanted delays in the teeth setting process. Avoid it if you can; if you cannot, then cut it into smaller bite-sized pieces first.
