Can You Eat Peanut Butter With Braces?
No. Just don’t. Peanut butter is amazing and I love it just as much as you do. Peanut butter on toast was my go-to snack. But it’s a massive hassle when you have braces and can be dangerous.
The first problem with peanut butter is that it’s really sticky and gummy. Those are key in our list of food to avoid with braces because of the risk of pulling a bracket off.
Breaking a bracket can happen when the gummy peanut butter sticks to the bracket as you bite. As you open your bite, the sheer stickiness can pop the bracket off.
That means a trip to your orthodontist to get it fixed. So now you’ve extended your treatment by a few days or weeks and might have to pay extra.
The second issue is that peanut butter is really sugary and messy. The little chunks get stuck everywhere in your braces and are very hard to get out. Then the sugar sticks all over your teeth and braces are hard enough to clean anyway.
We’ve all had the experience of eating peanut butter, brushing, then finding a couple of little chunks hidden away later in the day. With braces, you really need to take care of your teeth and brush much more than usual.
Can You Eat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups With Braces?
The all-American treat is finding popularity across the world, but is it safe with braces? Basically, no. You should try to avoid Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups while wearing braces because they’re basically just peanut butter in chocolate.
You might get away with eating a couple because the peanut butter inside is fairly dry, and much less sticky than the fresh stuff. But still, we advise you to try and avoid Reese’s.
Interestingly, ET’s favorite candy Reese’s pieces are just about safe to eat with braces. They’re not great because of the sugar, but they’re little and not too hard to bite. Just don’t shovel in mouthfuls to avoid breaking off a bracket.
There are also Reese’s puffs cereals which we think are safe to eat, learn more about the cereal you can eat with braces.
Can You Eat Peanut Butter Crackers With Braces?
Sandwich crackers, peanut butter crackers, RITZ cracker snacks, Keebler Toast, Austin, Munchies. Whatever brand or whatever you want to call them – they’re basically two crackers with a peanut butter middle.
Much like Reese’s pieces – you might get away with eating a couple, but they’re not a good idea. It’s not like you’re eating fresh, sticky peanut butter. Still, they’re sugary and get right up into the braces, making it hard to clean properly.
Can You Eat Peanut Butter Bars With Braces?
While not quite as sticky, peanut butter bars aren’t really safe to eat with braces. We’ve tried and found they’re just a bit of a mess when you bite into them and can feel like a bracket is pulling off.
Can You Eat Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches With Braces?
PB&J sandwiches are a gift from the gods (of heart disease) and should be treated with the respect they deserve. The sticky, sugary mess of goodness is unfortunately not a great idea to eat if you have braces.
The stickiness of the peanut butter itself makes PB&J sandwiches risky for pulling a bracket off. Plus it also adds way more sugar than is healthy to coat your teeth and braces with.
You’ll find yourself struggling to eat the sandwich without pain if you’ve just had a wire change. If you manage to eat one safely, rinse your mouth out with water and brush your teeth to remove all the nut debris soon after.
Read more
Can You Eat Almonds With Braces?
Can You Eat Peanuts With Braces?
What Fruit Can You Have With Braces?
Can You Eat Almond Butter With Braces?
All forms of nut butter like almond butter, pecan butter, brazil nut butter, cashew butter, walnut butter, and the truly extravagant pistachio butter are not safe to eat with braces. Whether you prefer chunky or smooth, the stickiness is a danger.
All nut butter has a really nice texture and grain, but with braces that can lead to you popping a bracket off. It will also mean cleaning your braces is a nightmare.
Cleaning Your Teeth After Eating Peanut Butter
If you’ve just gone ahead and eaten peanut butter anyway (we’re not angry, just disappointed…), you’re going to need to clean your teeth and braces really well. All of that sugary goodness is now covering your teeth.
Plus, the bits of nuts will be jammed up into the structure of the complicated braces. Peanut butter with braces will always be a long clean-up.
- First, you’ll need to rinse your mouth out thoroughly with tap water. Rinse a few times and really swoosh the water around to get the loose chunks out.
- Now you’ll need your trusty water flosser (a must with braces). Use it on the highest setting that doesn’t hurt, and get out any stubborn chunks. These are great at the job.
- You should always wait at least 30 minutes after eating before brushing, but you can still do the previous steps.
- Now you’ll brush – ideally with a good electric toothbrush and quality toothpaste. Make sure you brush from the top and bottom of each set of braces to try and remove all of the sugar.
- Now you’ll need to check with your tongue and a mirror to see if you have everything out of there.
- If you missed a bit or find a sneaky chunk, use the water flosser again on the specific spot. Then brush the area again.
- Now it doesn’t hurt to use some mouthwash. Remember, always spit but you don’t have to rinse.
- Take some time to reconsider your actions and steel yourself against the allure of peanut butter. It’s not worth it. Hide the jar. Donate it to a friend. You can hold out, just a few more months and it’ll all be over.