As you may already know, braces, new retainers or other appliances are liable to cause some tender teeth for a day or two. The movement caused by a new arch wire or a bend in a retainer can make certain teeth sore. Some thoughtful food preparation will help. If the discomfort lasts more than three or four days, call the office as something may be loose or bent. Putting food in a blender or cutting them up into smaller portions are good ways to make this time easier. Here are some suggestions to maintain comfort and nutrition.
Proteins
Add cubes of cheddar cheese to bouillon, or other hot soups. The cheese will melt so that it is easy to eat. Processed cheese works too, but it may turn the soup milky.
Float several spoonfuls of cottage cheese on hot tomato soup.
Scrambled eggs.
Scrambled hamburger. Cook hamburger slowly over medium heat, stirring it often to break up into tiny pieces. Do not let the meat get too crispy!
Sloppy Joe's Always easy!
Cheese souffle Try one! Even if it falls, it still tastes great.
Fruits
Fruit juices, one of the great joys of the orthodontic patient! How about a section in the freezer just for the one with the glistening smile? A variety of the little frozen juice cans: tangerine, nectarine, apple, grape, pineapple or grapefruit, will add interest and provide pleasure. Fresh fruits, so essential to good digestive habits, and great in a blender. Try this:
Fresh, uncooked applesauce. Peel apples, cut into chunks, put in a blender with a little sugar and a dash of cinnamon.
Fresh pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, apricots, and oranges. A mixture to create a South Pacific delight.
Frequently it's uncomfortable to bite or chew something very cold, with all that metal around the teeth. So take a cantaloupe or grapefruit out of the refrigerator the night before, in order to have it at room temperature when it touches those sensitive teeth at breakfast.
Vegetables
Sometimes cooked vegetables are easily eaten, but you may want to mash them up further with a fork. Try cooking carrots in the microwave for a quick preparation of a healthy vegetable. Salads are a real problem. Forget that idea about tearing up lettuce by hand, and go ahead and chop it up finely with a knife. Tomatoes, creamed spinach, cooked squash, and cauliflower are a little easier to eat than some vegetables. When all else fails, remember the mashed potatoes for dinner on the day after the orthodontic appointment has saved many high school athletes from imminent starvation.
Milk
The greatest, softest food ever invented. You can drink it plain, flavored, in hot chocolate or in milkshakes. Do not forget the cottage cheese, yogurt, and ice cream.
Lunches
We all know that the whole wheat bread, bursting with those crunchy little kernels of grain, is so nutritious. But just for a couple of days, when eating hurts, break down and get some nice soft white bread. Deviled egg, deviled ham, tuna, chopped olive and sandwich spreads will probably not cause too much discomfort. Avoid bologna, lettuce, hard cheese, salami, roast beef, or anything which really has to be chewed thoroughly.
Hot soup can be a lifesaver, and why not include bread and butter for dunking in the soup? Lots of bicycle knapsacks can easily hold a thermos. Canned snack containers with gelatin, puddings, or soft canned fruits are a great invention and applesauce has sustained many orthodontic patients.