Quick Answer
Yes, you can eat McDonald’s with braces but you need to be careful. Sticky and chewy foods like burgers and fries can get stuck in braces so take small bites, chew thoroughly with your back teeth, and rinse your mouth after eating. Avoid hard foods like apples and nuts which can damage braces. Stick to soft items like milkshakes, smoothies, and ice cream. See an orthodontist immediately if anything becomes stuck.
Can You Eat Burgers and Fries With Braces?
Burgers and fries from McDonald’s are popular menu items but they tend to be sticky and chewy. This texture can cause food particles to get trapped in braces, which can lead to cavities, stained wires, and plaque buildup. However, you don’t need to avoid burgers and fries completely with braces. Here are some tips:
– Take small bites – Don’t try to fit a large mouthful of burger or a handful of fries in your mouth. Take small, manageable bites that are easy to fully chew.
– Chew thoroughly with your back teeth – The back molars are stronger and make it easier to break down chewy or sticky foods. Avoid chewing with your front teeth.
– Use a toothpick – After eating, use a toothpick to dislodge any pieces of food stuck in your braces. Toothpicks are softer than other tools so they won’t damage brackets or wires.
– Rinse your mouth – Rinse thoroughly with water after eating to help wash away excess food debris. You can also rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash occasionally.
– Brush and floss – Properly brushing and flossing your teeth is still essential for people with braces. Take time after eating to brush around the braces and floss between wires.
By taking preventative measures like these, you should be able to handle burgers, fries, chicken nuggets and other McDonald’s menu items with braces. Just be slow and methodical with chewing. If food gets stuck and you can’t remove it yourself, make an orthodontist appointment to have it taken care of.
What McDonald’s Foods Should You Avoid With Braces?
While burgers and fries are okay in moderation, some McDonald’s menu items are riskier and more likely to damage braces:
– Hard foods – Avoid foods with hard textures like apple slices, nuts, seeds, corn nuts, hard pretzels, and ice cubes. Hard foods can bend wires and break brackets.
– Sticky sweets – Caramel sundaes, McFlurries, and baked apple pies can cling to braces. Even soft cookies can stick. Wait until after braces to enjoy these sugary treats.
– Crunchy cereals – Avoid granola or cereals with nuts. While cereal is okay, choose soft varieties or soaked cereals.
– Crispy chicken – The crispy breading on McChicken sandwiches and McNuggets can get lodged. Remove the breading or ask for grilled chicken instead.
– Gum and candy – Obviously gum should be avoided as it sticks permanently. Hard candies and taffies can also pull on wires.
– Tough, chewy or sharp foods – This includes pizza crust, bagels, corncobs, ribs, tacos with hard shells, carrots, celery, and crunchy raw veggies.
– Carbonated drinks – Bubbly sodas like Coke can be eaten in moderation but avoid excessive intake. Drink mostly water, milk, and juices without citric acid.
Check with your orthodontist if you are unsure about certain McDonald’s menu items. When in doubt, stick to soft foods like milkshakes, smoothies, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, ice cream sundaes, and packaged yogurts.
Tips for Eating at McDonald’s With Braces
Here are some general tips for eating McDonald’s and fast food with braces:
– Bring floss – Keep floss picks or a small floss container in your glove compartment and bag so you can floss immediately after eating.
– Order soft menu items – Choose items like fried fish sandwiches, grilled chicken wraps, egg McMuffins, sundaes, and milkshakes.
– Request modifications – Ask for burgers and sandwiches without hard, crunchy toppings to make them easier to chew.
– Cut food into pieces – Cut sandwiches, burgers, chicken, and other foods into little pieces to minimize choking hazards.
– Take your time – Allow yourself enough time to eat slowly and carefully. Don’t rush when you have braces.
– Swallow carefully – Make sure each bite is thoroughly chewed and broken down before you swallow to prevent choking.
– Carry a travel toothbrush – Brush your teeth and braces in the restaurant bathroom before leaving or right after you get home.
– Use a mouthguard – Wear a mouthguard during contact sports to prevent damaged braces from hard hits and collisions.
– Be prepared for discomfort – After eating, it’s normal to feel some soreness from chewing hard or sticky foods. This discomfort should go away within a day or two. Rinse with warm saltwater to help.
By being cautious, you can satisfy fast food cravings during orthodontic treatment. Just don’t overdo it and be diligent with oral hygiene. Communicate any issues to your orthodontist.
What If You Get Food Stuck in Braces at McDonald’s?
If you take a bite of a McDonald’s burger or fries and feel food trapped in your braces, don’t panic. Here’s what to do:
– Try to remove it – Use a clean toothpick, toothbrush, floss, or orthodontic brush to gently remove the stuck food debris. Don’t be too aggressive or tug on wires.
– Rinse your mouth – Rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water to help dislodge the particle. Swish vigorously.
– Drink water – Sipping water can help wash away stubborn stuck food. Don’t chew ice though.
– Use orthodontic wax – Place wax over any rough or poking wire edges to reduce irritation to your cheeks and gums.
– Avoid hard, crunchy, sticky foods – Stick to soft foods for the rest of the day to allow your braces time to recover.
– Call your orthodontist – If you can’t remove the stuck food yourself, call your orthodontist to schedule an emergency appointment for removal. Leaving particles stuck increases decay risk.
– Monitor for injuries – Watch for cuts, sores, or injuries inside the mouth which can become infected. Seek dental treatment if any area becomes red, swollen or oozes pus.
– Take pain relievers if sore – It’s normal for teeth and braces to be tender after having food trapped. Take over-the-counter pain medication as needed.
With patience and proper tools, you should be able to remove debris stuck in wires or brackets. Avoid letting children eat without supervision. Seek orthodontic help sooner rather than later for stuck food. Leaving it can lead to much bigger issues.
Pain and Discomfort After Eating With Braces
It’s very common to feel pain and discomfort for 1-2 days after eating foods like McDonald’s with braces. Here’s what to expect:
– General soreness – Chewing hard or sticky foods moves the teeth more intensely, causing temporary soreness.
– Sensitive teeth – Teeth may feel tender directly after eating or when consuming hot or cold foods.
– Cuts and lesions – Rubbing against sharp braces can cause canker sores or lesions inside the mouth.
– Protruding wires – Food can bend or shift wires so they irritate and poke the gums and cheeks.
– Headache – You may get a headache as your jaw and teeth adjust to the new forces placed on braces.
– Difficulty biting – After trauma from eating, teeth with braces may not fit together properly for a day or two.
– Lisp – If rubber bands are dislodged, a lisp can occur from braces rubbing the tongue.
– Redness and inflammation – Food and trauma to the gums can cause red, inflamed gums around braces.
In most cases, orthodontic pain resolves within 1-2 days on its own as your teeth settle into their new positions. Try these remedies:
– OTC pain medication like acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium
– Cold compress against the jaw
– Soft foods diet until swelling and pain improves
– Salt water rinses a few times a day
– Dental wax or orthodontic gel on sore spots
– Avoiding hard, crunchy or sticky foods
See your orthodontist if pain persists beyond a few days or worsens, as you may need braces adjusted or tightened wires clipped. Serious issues like infections or nerve damage are rare but should be treated promptly.
Impact of Fast Food on Braces Treatment Time
Eating too much McDonald’s and fast food during braces can potentially prolong your treatment time. Here’s how:
– Food getting stuck – Debris disrupts gentle forces moving teeth into proper alignment. This stalls progress.
– Broken brackets and wires – Damaged braces from hard foods means components need professional repair to continue working effectively.
– Tooth decay – Sugary fast food increases cavity risk, which must be treated before adjusting braces.
– Poor oral hygiene – More frequent brushing and flossing is needed with a poor diet, otherwise plaque buildup occurs which impacts progress.
– Missed appointments – More emergency visits to remove stuck food can lead to rescheduling and missed regular adjustments.
– Not following dietary guidelines – If you eat sticky foods against orthodontic recommendations, teeth move slower.
– Jaw pain – Overuse of chewing muscles from beefy burgers and crunchy fries causes muscle soreness and bite issues.
The typical braces treatment time is 18-24 months but can stretch longer if you have complications. Get back on track by:
– Booking missed appointments
– Improving oral hygiene
– Following dietary guidelines
– Reducing fast food consumption
– Using orthodontic wax and gel
With focus and discipline after a fast food slip up, you can still achieve a timely treatment and beautiful straight smile. Just be cautious moving forward.
Proper Oral Hygiene With Braces
Proper oral hygiene is even more crucial when you have braces. Food and plaque easily get trapped by wires and brackets, raising your decay and infection risk. Follow these habits:
– Brush carefully – Spend 2-3 minutes brushing after meals. Use soft bristled brush. Angle bristles at a 45 degree angle under wires.
– Brush all tooth surfaces – Clean the front, back, tops and sides of teeth thoroughly.
– Brush the gums – Use gentle motions to also clean the gumline around braces.
– Special tools – Use proxy brushes, floss threaders and interdental cleaners to clean between teeth and braces.
– Flouride toothpaste – Choose a toothpaste with flouride to protect enamel around brackets.
– Don’t share brushes or toothpaste – Sharing oral hygiene tools spreads bacteria. Use your own designated supplies.
– Rinse after eating – Swish vigorously with water or an antibacterial rinse to prevent debris buildup in braces.
– Floss daily – Take extra time to floss up and down between each wire. Use floss threaders if needed.
– See your dentist – Get regular dental cleanings and checkups every 6 months while braces are on.
Proper brushing and flossing takes longer with braces but is crucial. Adults should help monitor children’s and teen’s cleaning. See your orthodontist if you notice plaque buildup, swollen gums, bad breath or white spots around braces.
Foods to Eat With Braces
Although fast food should be minimized, you still have plenty of nutritious foods and snacks to enjoy with braces:
– Yogurt – Try plain yogurt with soft fruit mixed in. Avoid crunchy granola toppings.
– Smoothies – Whip up fruit smoothies packed with vitamins.
– Soups – Warm broth or blended vegetable soups are satisfying. Avoid chunks.
– Protein shakes – Blend nutritious protein powders into a shake.
– Oatmeal – Cook mushy oatmeal and stir in cinnamon, fruit, raisins or honey.
– Eggs – Scrambled and hard boiled eggs provide protein.
– Mashed potatoes – Potatoes without lumps are a great side dish.
– Noodles – Slurp smooth pasta noodles tossed in tomato sauce.
– Beans – Cooked lentils, black beans and chickpeas make a great braces meal.
– Meats – Ground meats, soft pulled pork, and flaky fish fillets are ideal.
– Steamed vegetables – Many steamed veggies like peas, carrots and broccoli are braces-safe.
– Cottage cheese – Blend cottage cheese into a puree consistency.
– Bread – Stick to soft breads you can tear with your hands. Avoid crusty bread.
– Apple sauce – Swallow smooth unsweetened apple sauce.
Focus on foods that glide easily across braces without getting stuck. Read food labels and remember your dietary restrictions.
Conclusion
Ultimately, indulging in fast food like McDonald’s in moderation is okay with braces as long as you take precautions. Avoid sticky sweets, hard items, and chewy textures which can damage braces and prolong treatment. Stick to soft, smooth foods that are easy to chew and swallow. Take small bites, use toothpicks, floss carefully after meals and maintain impeccable oral hygiene to prevent issues. With some adjustments to your eating habits, it’s certainly possible to safely satisfy a fast food craving now and then during your braces journey. Just be smart and talk to your orthodontist if you have any concerns.
