How bad is sugar for braces?

Message

#1 Post by **genxsis** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:07 pm

My ortho said that when I get braces, I need to stay away from sugary foods. But how much? And exactly what is bad about it and what harm will it do? Is ANY sugar bad, or is the occasional can of soda still OK?

#2 Post by **Will** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:54 pm

i eat sugar all the time

#3 Post by **Evelyn** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:20 pm

I'm almost scared to read the answers to this...

Coke is my coffee I like to say...and there's no way I'd go for three and a half years without it. I brush well and I've never had a cavity even though I've had braces for almost 40 months now and I've dranken...no drinken...drank...how would you conjugate that? No it would be I drank...got it. But I digress...I drank coke the whole time and I work at an ice cream shop so I eat that a lot too and I've never really limited my sugary foods but I brush really well at night though. My dentist said I have really good oral hygiene too, but I think it's just luck of the draw. Maybe something to do with thickness of the enamel or a variety of other factors, but some people are just more cavity prone than others.

[/i]

#4 Post by **Qtgirl** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:15 pm

Oh my! I know sugar cant be too good at all especially if ya eat too much. Im guilty of this since I ate a whole bag of cotton candy over the weekend--couldnt resist

Or was it two bags? Im bad

I brushed right after though.

I havent had a soda is like six months either. I think from reading on the boards or somewhere that using straws with your pop wont affect your teeth as much.

Oh Happy New Year Everyone!

#5 Post by **hannah164** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:45 pm

Wow! I'm in big trouble! Chocolate is like my coffee! I'm totally addicted!

Chocaholic here! Oh well... I do brush my teeth pretty good, well and I haven't had a cavity for a while!

-Hannah

Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05
Next Adjustment 1/11/06

#6 Post by **weird_wired** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 5:26 am

If you drink coke through a straw so it goes directly onto your tongue and gets swallowed (likewise any sugary drinks or fruit juices) you are greatly minimising damage to your teeth.

With chocolate: if you can eat it in such a way (I suck it when my teeth are extra sensitive!) that you don't get it over your front brackets, again it's a lot better for you - unless you brush straight afterwards.

#7 Post by **Marzipan** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 11:35 am

Evelyn said:

even though I've had braces for almost 40 months now and I've dranken...no drinken...drank...how would you conjugate that? No it would be I drank...got it. But I digress...

Thanks for a chuckle. You can use "I have drunk a lot of soda."

On the sugar front, I'm guessing we need to limit sugar because it promotes tooth decay, and getting a cavity while in braces is a BAD thing. Not that I've been good yet. :) On the other hand, although I love chocolate, it is more trouble than it is worth to eat now, so my intake is down. So is my intake of chewed fingernails.

#8 Post by **dena** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:18 pm

I've had braces for almost 40 months now and I've dranken...no drinken...drank...how would you conjugate that? No it would be I drank...got it.

Evelyn: I said "drinken" for years. All of my friends made fun of me

#9 Post by **Lucifina** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:51 pm

Uhhh, can you put fudge through a straw? I am eating fudge as I read this...doesn't get better than that

(recipe on my site if you want to eat something you shouldn't

) I am glad I am not the only one who can't get to the hangnails! That drives me nutz!

#10 Post by **Lucifina** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 7:32 pm

Nope sorry it is chocolate... I don't have a vanilla fudge recipe, but I am always trying new recipes and lately my mister and I have been on a candy making kick. I'll have to look that up! I am really glad my ortho and staff treat me like an adult! They have this little report card that is clipped to the file that I bring up to the ladies at the counter. They are for the parents to keep tabs on how the kiddos are doing on the hygiene. They always ask me if I want my report card

#11 Post by **eurydice** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 7:25 am

Fantastic side effect of braces - fabulous gorgeous non-bitten fingernails!! After 30 years of nail biting I'm finally out of the habit. And as for sugar, just brush your teeth after eating it!

#12 Post by **stargirl** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:55 am

I agree... my nails look quite nice now.
It is frustrating to not be able to bite off hangnails, but at least I clip them off now instead of biting them and bleeding everywhere!

Back on topic:
I eat lots of sugary stuff with braces, and I'm not to worried about brushing right after. As long as I brush my teeth 2 times a day, it's all good.

No cavities here.

#13 Post by **dena** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:09 pm

yeah, i just realized that i can't bite my nails anymore...score for dropping a bad habit! nothing else would have ever done it...

i was told to be careful of sugary fruit, too...but my ortho said he's pretty lax on foods. he says he sees more people break brackets from chewing on pens (another bad habit of mine) than from various foods. he was bascially just like 'eat at your own risk'