There can be no breakfast without some of the iconic foods we’ve grown accustomed to since childhood: a few slices of toast with melted butter, crunchy bacon, and a big glass of orange juice. Unfortunately, however, these breakfast staples become history for people with braces.
Getting braces or having them adjusted takes its toll on the most important meal of the day. The process of adjusting to the new orthodontic equipment and the tooth sensitivity caused by it call for alterations of your breakfast foods. Hard, crunchy, sugary foods become your sworn enemies, whereas soft foods are your strongest ally.
But is there a way to eat hard foods without damaging your braces? That is what hundreds of patients look to find out each month. Today’s article will solve your breakfast dilemmas by answering this simple yet inclusive question: “can you eat toast with braces?”
Yes, You Can Eat Toast With Braces!
Let’s dispel the mystery right from the start: yes, you can eat toast with braces! You can still enjoy your favorite breakfast food as long as you don’t toast the bread too much or add sticky toppings to it. Slightly toasted bread, either plain or with a thin layer of butter, will not damage your braces.
Tips for Safely Eating Toast With Braces
Now that we know you can keep eating your morning toast even with braces, let’s review some tips on how to appropriately prepare the bread:
Cut the Toast Into Smaller Pieces
It’s hard to resist the temptation of biting off and chewing a big chunk of chewy bread. However, big bites do not square with wearing braces. Instead, take your time and cut your toast slices into smaller squares. It might take longer, but you can never be cautious enough when eating toast with braces.
Avoid Biting With Your Front Teeth
Biting into toast with your front teeth is a surefire way to bend the brace wires and push off its brackets. Moreover, the front teeth are not designed to crunch and chew the food before swallowing — that’s the back teeth’s job.
Once your new braces are installed, take an extra second to ensure you’re chewing with your back teeth, not your front ones.
Turn to Fresh, Soft Bread
As much as we fancy our crunchy morning pastries with a warm cup of coffee, it’s time to look for alternatives. Hard-crust bread is still an option for patients with braces, but only if the crust is removed consistently. If you’re afraid of being inconsistent in removing the hard crust, soft-crust bread will do the trick!
Use a Lower Setting When Toasting the Bread
The toaster’s temperature setting will determine how hard and crunchy the bread will be. Hard foods are your greatest enemy when you eat with braces, so choose a lower-temperature setting for your toast from now on.
Smear Some Butter on Your Toast to Soften It
Can’t have toast without a bit of butter, right? That’s never been more true for people with braces. Butter helps soften the toast, so don’t hesitate to let it sit longer or indulge in more butter with your next slice of toast.
Conduct Your Oral Hygiene Routine Straight After Eating Toast
Lastly, you need to ensure that no food particles get stuck in the nooks and crannies of your new braces. Therefore, we recommend rinsing your mouth immediately after eating toast and brushing/flossing after breakfast.
Avoid Certain Types of Bread and Toast Recipes
Although healthier or simply more delicious, particular types of bread and toast recipes require extra brushing and pose a more significant threat to your dental health. The seeds found in wholemeal loaves (e.g., sunflower, poppy, linseed, and pumpkin) can easily become trapped between your teeth and brace wires/brackets, prolonging your dental care routine. That is why we recommend avoiding them altogether.
Likewise, the following toast recipes contain chunky or sticky ingredients unfit for braces:
- Avocado toast: People with braces have a hard time chewing on the chunky avocado.
- Cinnamon toast: Too much of a sugar extravaganza for your braces.
- French toast: The sticky ingredients (e.g., cheese) found in French toast make it dangerous for daily consumption. Follow our tips for safely eating whenever you indulge in French toast or research brace-friendly recipes!
- Nutella toast: Avoiding sugary foods is the mantra of people with braces. You may indulge in it now and then, but remember to clean your braces immediately after consumption.
- Peanut butter toast: It might be a healthy snack, but peanut butter is too sticky for your braces.
What Can You Eat With Braces for Breakfast?
Starting your orthodontic treatment represents the patient’s commitment to a healthy oral cavity, a commitment that can only be fulfilled while improving one’s eating habits. But do patients have to say goodbye to all their favorite breakfast foods? Not at all! You can still put together a fabulous breakfast plate with:
- Scrambled eggs: A delicious, protein-packed option on its own, eggs leave plenty of room for versatility. You can serve them with cheese, soft veggies, and even toast! Just remember to remove the hard crust before eating.
- Oatmeal: Granola and other crunchy cereals are a no go for patients with braces. But that will not matter once you discover the health benefits of oatmeal. Whether plain or served with fruit (e.g., bananas, berries, or mango), oatmeal is a solid brace-friendly breakfast option!
- Fruits: Soft fruit options, such as bananas, berries, nectarines, and peaches, go hand in hand with proper eating habits with braces. Sticky and sugary fruit, though, such as cranberries, dates, and raisins, will only make matters worse, so steer clear of them.
- Yogurt and smoothies: Amazing sources of vitamin D, calcium, and minerals. You can serve them plain (e.g., Greek yogurt) or add a flavor base (e.g., banana, berries, mango). Throw in a bit of kale or spinach to make this treat even more healthy and flavorful!
Check Out Our Braces-Friendly Toast Recipes!
Now that we’ve whetted your appetite, let’s look at some of the yummiest brace-friendly toast recipes to try each morning!
- Beans on toast: You can’t go wrong with this British classic. Simply pour some beans in tomato sauce over a slice of toast and enjoy! A simple, brace-friendly option you can easily savor without much chewing.
- Scrambled eggs on toast: Cook your eggs French-style (i.e., low heat, constant scrambling, served while runny) and pair them with a slice of toast and a teaspoon of French or Dijon mustard!
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese on toast: No different than a soft bagel!
Want to Learn More About Breakfast Foods? Patuxent Orthodontics Can Help!
Contact Patuxent Orthodontics if orthodontic treatment is the solution to your dental woes. Whether you want to learn more about the benefits of our orthodontic services or simply have questions about the process, use our live chat or call (240) 802-7217 or send us a message through our contact us page to connect with our friendly staff today and book a free consultation! Our office, located at 44220 Airport View Dr., Hollywood, MD 20636, proudly serves Maryland’s Patuxent area, as well as the Greater Washington DC area. So, if you’re residing in California, Lexington Park, and Great Mills and are looking for one of the best orthodontists in MD, don’t hesitate to visit our office! We also invite you to keep up with our blog to get answers to many of the frequently asked questions about maintaining sparkling oral health and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to become a part of our smiling community!
