Some Tips for Eating Thanksgiving Dinner with Braces

Here at Linaker Orthodontics, we’re very thankful and we love our family and food, so Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday. We thought we’d share some tips for enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner with braces.

As always, cut your foods up into small bites, this not only makes chewing with braces easier but is also healthier than taking larger bites. Be sure to cut the meat off of the turkey leg! It may be tempting to chomp into that great big delicious leg of dark turkey meat that your Mom or Grandma has painstakingly spent hours preparing for you family feast – but your braces may come loose if you bite too close to the bone. We know Thanksgiving only comes around once a year and sometimes you just can’t help yourself from being tempted, but please use caution! Most other traditional foods, such as sweet potatoes, dressing and green bean casserole are soft and easy to eat with or without braces. (OK, now our mouths are watering.)

Make sure to be careful with Pecan Pie and any hard candies or cookies that may catch your eye for dessert – biting into one of these delectable morsels may also bend your wires or cause a bracket to come loose. Go for something soft & delicious like a slice of pumpkin or apple pie with an extra scoop of ice cream or whip cream…yeah that is just what the doctor ordered!

Remember to brush and floss after every meal. If you’re like us that means you’ll be brushing a lot because we eat all day long.

Please know how thankful we are for each and every member of our Linaker Orthodontics Family!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!