Can you eat marshmallows with braces?

In this brief article, we will answer the question “Can you eat marshmallows with braces?”. We will also elaborate on whether it is safe to eat marshmallows with braces, how they can affect the dental part of the body, and how the braces could get broken.

Can you eat marshmallows with braces?

Yes, you can eat marshmallows with braces. But, the key is to consume in moderation to avoid unpleasant circumstances.

Marshmallows

The marshmallow is an aerated confectionery consisting of mainly sugar syrup and an aerating and stabilizing agent, usually gelatine. Gelatine is the most popular aerating agent used for marshmallow as it produces stable foams of a light and airy texture. It is a very effective foam stabilizer in preventing air bubbles in the system from collapsing. Commercial marshmallows have a limited shelf-life of approximately 40 weeks as changes in texture, mainly hardening and loss of elasticity of the foam, occur over time (1).

Marshmallows are soft and also chewy, but not sticky, they can be easily removed as they do not stick to the dental areas. You might have to rinse your mouth later. 

If you are a fan of marshmallows, you should restrict your habit of eating marshmallows when you have braces on. It may stick under brackets and cords, which can damage the braces. 

If you are having braces, you should know the type of food and snacks you can eat with the braces and the kinds of foods you should avoid while you are undergoing your treatment. Let us talk in detail about keeping the braces safe and getting a good smile.

How to eat with braces?

Orthodontic treatment creates physical, physiologic, and emotional stresses that increase the nutrient mobilization and utilization, thus raising the nutritional requirements of the person. This along with the fact that the nutritional needs of adolescents (the age of a typical orthodontic patient) is already stressed by growth and development as well as the emotional stress of puberty, maintenance of a well-balanced diet is of great importance. Fixed orthodontic treatment typically lasts for around 1½ to 3 years and during this duration certain dietary restrictions and modifications are advised (2).

You can always enjoy many of your favorite meals even though you have braces. Concentrate on a few points to help you enjoy more food with braces.

Key 1: Make sure you eat soft foods and take small bites. Cut the whole thing into small pieces to prevent large pieces that require a lot of grinding power.

Key 2: Learn how to bite food with the side of your mouth.

Key 3: Chew your food slowly but thoroughly to avoid biting your lips, cheeks, or tongue.

Key 4: Rinse your mouth thoroughly after eating. Also, when you have braces on, it is recommended to use mouthwash more often.

How can braces get affected if you choose unhealthy food?

Eating unhealthy foods can affect your treatment. Avoid eating certain foods with braces to be successful in your treatment.

Fixed orthodontic treatment enables the patient to cut down on gummy, hard to chew or very hard food to avoid appliance breakage and bracket debonding. These patients generally switch over to easy to eat food without any special consideration to the nutrient values. Nutritional deficiency can lead to malformation of skull base length, lower facial height and maxillomandibular width. Earlier studies have shown that patients on a soft diet generally exhibited inchoate muscles of the orofacial region resulting in narrow arches. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a healthy diet despite restrictions (3).

Your dentist has taken great care in planning your treatment. Usually, these treatments are done in stages. A broken bracket may prevent you from progressing to the next step of the foundation. Besides the treatment duration, replacing brackets requires chair time and presents a high cost, since it is not always possible to replace the same bracket (4). 

Food that is too solid or too gummy should not be consumed when you have your braces on. 

If the food item is gummy, it will get stuck in braces, which can cause the brackets to become loose, or distort wires and other metal pieces. 

Moreover, if the food item is too solid, it can cause the brackets to become loose while grinding into it. 

So solidness and gumminess are the factors you should look out for. This clears out that you can not have Twizzlers, chewing gums, toffees, caramels and tough candies and soft drinks.

So it is fine to say that any sweet that is not very tough or very gooey, for instance, chocolate, can be eaten with braces, provided that you brush or rinse thereafter. 

However, it is best to not eat it directly as it comes out of the refrigerator, instead, you should wait until it is a bit softened. 

How does food cause broken braces?

Some foods should be avoided as they may get stuck between your teeth. This is usually not a problem without braces.

With the braces, when the food gets stuck between the wires, it can be very difficult to remove the troublesome particles. 

They can remain stuck between the teeth and under the gums causing inflammation. This can lead to bleeding gums, swollen gums, and even gum disease. Painful and swollen gums are unpleasant, so avoid these foods to prevent these problems. 

Candies you should avoid with braces

Following candies may damage your braces and can delay your treatment. Stay away from:

• Hard candy
• Taffy
• Caramels
• Chewy candy
• Nuts
• Jellybeans
• Popcorn
• Liquorice
• Sour candy
• Bubble gum
• Suckers

Other foods to avoid: Hard Pretzels, Pizza Crust, Croutons, Gummy Bears, Jujubes, Chocolate Chips, Ice cubes, Skittles, Starburst, Smarties, M&Ms, Tootsie Rolls, pens and pencils. 

Some foods should be eaten with cautio, cut up and chew with back teeth: Nacho Chips, Bagels, Ribs, Chicken Wings, Raw Vegetables, Hard Fruit (i.e., apples, unless sliced thin or cut in small pieces), Fruit with Pits (i.e., peaches), Corn on the Cob, Crusty Bread, Granola Bars, Foods high in sugar (e.g., pop, candy): Don’t eat often and brush soon after. 

Finally, these foods you can eat freely: Ice Cream (no nuts), Potato Chips, Steamed Vegetables, Pasta Potatoes, French Fries, Soft Pretzels, Yogurt, Pudding, Jelly, Soup, Sub Sandwiches, Cereal in Milk, Cheese, Eggs, Milkshakes, Caramel Bars, Peanut Butter Cups (2).

Proper care with braces 

When the orthodontist cannot get the patients to adhere to treatment, they become less concerned and do not properly follow the instructions for appliances use and care, increasing the chances of appliance breakage thus compromising the treatment outcomes. Moreover, patients that are less committed to treatment and present higher bracket failure rate could have longer treatment duration, a situation that affects patient quality of life, considering financial and satisfaction aspects. Therefore, it is important to avoid breakage and have appropriate habits (4).

• Food can get stuck amongst the teeth and braces. It is necessary to clean the teeth after eating at least two times a day. 
• If you can not clean them, rinse your mouth thoroughly.
• Gently but thoroughly brush your braces, extending the bristles within the gaps between the wires and the teeth.
• If your braces have any removable components, remove and clean them separately. Brush them with toothpaste and rinse them under plain water before you wear them back.

Other FAQs about Marshmallows that you may be interested in.

Can you roast marshmallows on a gas stove?

Do Marshmallows Expire?

Can you get sick from eating expired marshmallows?

Conclusion 

In this brief article, we answered the question “Can you eat marshmallows with braces?” We also elaborated on whether it is safe to eat marshmallows with braces, how they can affect the dental part of the body, and how the braces could get broken.

References

1. Tan, Johanna M., and Miang H. Lim. Effects of gelatine type and concentration on the shelf‐life stability and quality of marshmallows. Int j food sci technol, 2008, 43, 1699-1704.
2. Ajmera, Amit Jaikumar, Suchita Sadashiv Tarvade, and Vishal Ramesh Patni. A systematic nutritional and dietary guideline for orthodontic patients. J Orthod Res, 2015, 3, 88.
3. Bose, Monalisha, Dinesh Kumar Bagga, and Poonam Agrawal. Managing nutrition but not damaging the orthodontic attachments: A consideration. Ann Roman Soc Cell Biol, 2021, 586-590.
4. Barbosa, Isabela Vasconcelos, et al. The association between patient’s compliance and age with the bonding failure of orthodontic brackets: a cross-sectional study. Progr Orthod, 2018, 19, 1-5.