Feeding My Child Who Has Braces:  A Mother’s Story

Pamela Gould, co-author of Feeding the Kids

If your son or daughter is about to get braces, you might be thinking about how you can help them eat well while they are having their teeth moved around. I had the same concerns, but now we are about one year into the whole braces experience and have navigated the food changes without nearly as much difficulty as anticipated.

Generally, my son's teeth only stay sore for 48 to 72 hours after tightening, and a bit longer whenever he has to wear those evil little rubber bands. After some appointments, they are not sore at all.

With very active kids this age, including mine, just getting enough calories in a chewable form can be a challenge when his teeth are sore. My first strategy is to have him eat a big, healthy meal just before his appointment, especially if the orthodontist mentioned that the visit would involve major changes. That way he will not get hungry and need to eat a large meal when the teeth start hurting a few hours later.

Obviously, when his teeth are very sore, liquid foods help. Good options are pureed soups or smoothies with plenty of yogurt. But his top favorite right now is my famous (okay, just in the neighborhood) peanut-butter shake  recipe (see recipe at end). It makes a great, creamy drink. For another favorite post-appointment recipe I just blend frozen berries or peaches in a food processor with yogurt, which makes a soft sorbet. Apparently, the ice cold mush helps with the soreness. He also loves what I call an un-pie: a pumpkin pie made with no crust.  I use the recipe on the can of pumpkin using nonfat evaporated skim milk or nonfat milk and half the sugar. Since the pie contains milk, eggs, and pumpkin, I like that it contains plenty of nutrition in a no-chew form. He considers all three of these recipes big treats, so they cheer him up a bit when his teeth are hurting a lot.

Fortunately, there have only been a handful of days that he cannot chew at all. When his teeth are just a bit sore from tightening or those rubber bands, we go with softer foods, not liquids. Some options he likes are: beans and rice, lentils, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, cooked winter squash, baked fruit, somewhat chunkier soups, or cooked spinach. Applesauce, bananas, very ripe peaches or pears, and thawed frozen fruits are nice and soft, too. And, if I have time, I make some soft homemade whole-wheat banana or pumpkin bread, cornbread or whole-grain muffins (without nuts, of course). He loves these baked goods, and seems to be able to eat lots without much pain (see the recipes available in my book, Feeding the Kids).

For dinner,  I always try to make something soft that the whole family likes.  That way he will not feel too sorry for himself, even if he skips the salad. And for school lunch, I find that a thermos full of soup or lentils, yogurt and applesauce work well in the lunch box. Just don't get careless, once I packed crunchy crackers with the soup and he wasn't too happy! Some type of soft muffin or bread is a much more popular choice.

Most of the time, of course, his teeth are not sore. The only thing he totally avoids is anything very sticky, such as gum or caramels. He is not supposed to chew ice or hard candy, though I have caught him doing so without apparent harm to the braces. Otherwise, anything that would normally require biting into -- including apples, carrots, steak, firmer bread, and so on-- should be broken or cut into bites that can be fit into the mouth to be tackled by the molars.

We have not entirely eliminated any foods, and have had only one wire pop off. He didn't really know how it happened-- but didn't think it happened while eating.  (Side note: This wire incident happened over a long weekend and the orthodontist actually had me fix it with tweezers! I was very proud of myself.)

According to my son, the most painful part is definitely the first week. After that, it is just a mild inconvenience, which is somewhat compensated for by having an excellent excuse to demand favorite soft foods! And as for the rubber bands, which end up all over our house, if you have a dog you might be happy to know that our dog has eaten quite a few without any apparent ill effect.

Creamy Peanut Butter Milkshake

1 frozen banana (peel and keep in the freezer)

1  cup nonfat milk (or more for a thinner shake)

a few spoonfuls of powdered milk

a bit of plain cocoa powder

2 tablespoons of peanut butter (natural style without added sugar)

a few drops of vanilla.

Place all in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add more milk as needed to thin.

Pamela Gould