Dr. Brad Jennings and the entire staff at Jennings Orthodontics in Houston, would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! This is a period where we reflect on the many blessings that we have been given over the years. We are always thankful to our patients, friends, family and neighbors for making us part of their local community.
The tradition of Thanksgiving also comes with eating lots of delicious foods, and as an Orthodontist, Dr. Jennings wants to help patients enjoy the festivities without impacting their orthodontic progress that they’ve worked so hard to follow. So here are some list of holiday foods that are OK to eat and foods that you’d want to try and avoid.
Foods that should be okay to eat with braces:
- Turkey and Ham – The mainstay proteins of Thanksgiving are safe to eat. Just make sure you cut the meat into smaller portions.
- Corn – enjoy your corn, but make sure it’s not on the cob
- Potatoes – Try to stick to mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Dressing – If the dressing is not crunchy, be our guest.
- Casserole – Again, enjoy your casseroles, but avoid anything that may be crunchy
- Green beans – Green beans are usually soft, so please indulge
- Desserts – Avoid sticky caramel or crunchy desserts – just make you brush your teeth afterwards
Foods that we recommend trying to avoid:
- Popcorn – A big no-no if you’re wearing braces.
- Chips – another snack you may want to avoid
- Nuts – almonds, cashews, and the other hard nuts could damage your braces
- Caramel – this can stick to your braces
- Generally, any sticky, hard or crunchy foods should be avoided
So, there you have it! Following the above list of do’s and don’ts will help you enjoy your Thanksgiving without orthodontic emergencies. Also, please don’t forget to thoroughly brush and floss your teeth after every meal.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Jennings Orthodontics Houston!