Crunch with Caution: A Guide to Eating Chips with Braces

Can I Eat Chips with Braces?

Article written by Diamond Braces Clinical Staff
Article medically reviewed by Dr. Oleg Drut

Who doesn't love a nice potato chip every once in a while? Millions of Americans indulge in chips when they are watching the game or when they need a salty side dish for their lunch.

People with braces can enjoy a variety of chips and similar foods. Options like baked chips, cheese puffs, and veggie chips are safe snacks for braces. French fries and sweet potato fries are also braces-friendly snacks. Enjoy these treats during your braces treatment.

There are certain types of chips you will want to avoid while wearing braces. Ruffled chips, "kettle" chips, tortilla chips, crunchy cheese puffs, hard crackers, and similar food items should be avoided while in braces. Eating hard foods can lead to broken brackets and appliance damage. Avoid eating these hard foods to make sure your braces are safe and effective.

What Types of Chips Can You Eat with Braces?

To prevent damaging your braces, you will want to eat softer chips. These include baked chips, regular "classic" chips, puff snacks like cheese curls and veggie straws, and french fries. These are great foods to eat when you're looking for a snack that won't hurt your braces. Just make sure you eat one at a time to avoid biting down too hard and causing damage to your appliance.

The ideal chip won't force you to bite down so hard and also won't break into little pieces so easily. Harder chips can splinter into small pieces and get stuck between your brackets and wires. Harder chips can also force you to bite down harder which can also lead to appliance damage.

To maintain good dental care after eating chips with braces, follow these steps:

Brush your teeth, rinse, and floss after eating chips. Chips contain starchy carbs that can stick to your teeth, attracting harmful bacteria.

Starchy carbs can lead to tooth decay, so it's crucial to clean your mouth promptly after snacking to avoid complications down the line.

Remember to prioritize your dental health, especially when dealing with braces.

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What Chips Should You Avoid?

To protect your braces, avoid hard chips and crunchy cheese puffs. These foods can harm your brace wires. Instead, choose braces-friendly options.

Opt for healthy snacks like peanut butter and steer clear of hard-baked crackers and ice cream. Knowing the types of foods to avoid with braces will help you maintain your dental health.

If you wear Invisalign, be cautious with these snacks as well. Keep your braces safe and maintain your oral health by avoiding hard chips with braces or Invisalign aligners.

If you eat food that is too hard for your braces, you can cause damage to them. This can manifest in the form of breaking brackets or bending your wires. You can also get chips stuck between your brackets and wires, which can either damage them or lead to tooth decay if your oral care routine is lacking.

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When Can You Start To Eat Chips with Braces?

Like all solid food, you should wait a few days before eating chips. Your teeth will be very sensitive when your braces are first put on and eating chips can cause further discomfort. This also goes for when your braces are tightened but you may not have to wait as long since your teeth will be used to your braces.

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food related FAQs

Can I Eat Doritos with Braces?

Doritos are not the best chips to have while wearing braces. They are harder chips that splinter apart very easily and can damage your braces. Consider skipping Doritos until your braces come off ?? your smile will thank you for it!

Can I Have Flamin' Hot Cheetos With Braces?

The original Flamin' Hot Cheetos are made using Crunchy cheese snacks which are too hard for your braces. Recently, they have started making Flamin' Hot Cheetos puffs, which are able to be eaten with braces. Be sure to let them melt on your tongue for a little while and brush, rinse, and floss after eating to avoid any tooth decay.

Can I Eat Takis With Braces?

Takis are far too hard to be safely eaten while wearing braces. Takis and other tortilla chips are too crunchy to bite into without risking damage to your brackets and wires. As hard as it may be, you will have to wait until after your braces treatment finishes before enjoying Takis again.

Can I Have Nachos With Braces?

Nachos are made with tortilla chips, so unfortunately they are not a good snacking option until you are finished with treatment. Tortilla chips are hard and can cause your brackets and wires to break due to the force needed to chew them.

Can I Eat Popcorn With Braces?

Generally speaking, you should avoid eating popcorn with braces since the kernels can damage your braces and hulls can get stuck in hard-to-reach places. However, there are some ways you can safely enjoy popcorn with braces.

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Conclusion

There are indeed chips you can eat with braces, but you must be careful with what chips you eat. Stick with soft chips that don't require as much force to chew.

Avoid crunchy snacks like hard chips, cheese puffs, and Takis for better orthodontic treatment results. Your healthy smile awaits. Enjoy these treats later without worries.

Click here to learn more about what foods you can eat with braces.

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