The foods you can eat with braces are very much a grey area. This area becomes even more grey when you focus on what candy and sweet, sugary treats are suitable for eating with braces. Well, here today, we’re going to get to the bottom of cookie dough. And by that, I don’t mean we’re going to eat a whole bowl of cookie dough until we hit the bottom. Instead, we’re going to find out everything you need to know about eating cookie dough with braces. So, let’s dig in!
So, can you eat cookie dough with braces? You can eat cookie dough with braces as it is very soft in texture and will not put too much pressure and stress on your teeth. As such, brace damage is unlikely. Also, cookie dough can be quickly and easily removed from braces (if it were to get stuck).
Two good reasons why we can still eat it.
But, as with any sweet and sticky treat, there are some do’s and don’ts that will ensure your braces provide the expected results and you don’t end up with rotting teeth in the process!
So let’s keep delving into it!
Contents
Why You Can Eat Cookie Dough With Braces
You can eat cookie dough with braces as its soft texture and ability to be cleaned out from your brackets easily means it does not pose significant threats of brace damage, tooth decay, and pain.
To understand why we can eat cookie dough, we need to also understand what makes a piece of food or candy unsuitable for eating with braces and what the possible consequences would be.
The first consequence would be brace damage.
If a food is too hard, chewy, or sticky, then it will naturally be more difficult for your teeth to bite into.
This means more effort is required, which generates higher levels of pressure, stress, and tension on your teeth.
These high levels could be so immense that they cause your brackets to pop off.
Every time they pop off, they need to be refitted.
And every time they are refitted, the deadline for you to have them removed completely is pushed back further.
The second consequence is damage and pain to your teeth.
Foods that are hard, chewy, or sticky will easily get stuck in between your brackets.
This is particularly a problem when these foods are high in sugar, as they can leave an excess of sugary bacteria that can cause tooth decay and cavities.
So, these are the characteristics and consequences that you need to look out for.
If you don’t, then your braces will struggle to do their job of straightening your teeth and enhancing your smile.
Now, does cookie dough pose such threats? Well, if you’re a big fan of this treat, you are in luck!
Cookie dough is very soft in texture, meaning that stress, pressure, and tension will not be put on your teeth and braces so long as you’re careful. The risk of brace damage is, therefore, very low.
But what about tooth decay? Cookie dough is very sticky. Surely it gets stuck in your brackets?
Yes, you are right on both accounts.
However, fortunately, cookie dough can be cleaned out from your teeth and brackets, as we will discuss very soon.
Best Practices When Eating Cookie Dough With Braces
The best and safest practices for cookie dough with braces mainly involve how you eat it and how you clean your mouth after.
Limit Consumption
Moderation is always key. That’s still the case here. The less cookie dough you eat, the less risk of tooth decay and cavities that comes with it.
The type of cookie dough you also eat is especially important.
For example, you should try to buy cookie dough that is low in sugar.
You should also avoid cookie dough with chocolate chips in it.
Whilst cookie dough is soft; these chips are hard, so they can cause brace damage as a consequence.
How You Eat
It’s all about reducing the pressure on your teeth.
So, there are two methods of eating cookie dough that can be done at the same time.
Firstly, take small bites to limit the pressure on your teeth.
Secondly, suck, don’t chew as a way of completely eradicating this pressure.
So chew as little as possible!
Eat Around Mealtime (If Possible)
The safest time to eat cookie dough is when you are eating other food as well.
That will most likely, of course, be at meal time. So attempt to enjoy your cookie dough when you’re enjoying a meal as well.
Dental Hygiene
You’ve safely eaten cookie dough without your brackets popping off.
Fantastic, well done! But the danger isn’t over yet.
Now you have to get rid of the sugar, acid, and bacteria it has left amongst your teeth and brackets.
But don’t brush immediately.
Instead, wait 30 minutes so that you allow your teeth’s enamel to return to its normal hard state after the sugary acids have softened it.
Then, get your paste and brush up in your mouth.
Make sure all of that sticky cookie dough is cleaned completely from your brackets and teeth.
If a toothbrush doesn’t suffice, then you may need to get the dental floss out.
Tie a knot in the floss’ string and carefully use this to remove cookie dough that has gotten stuck up there.
Drink Water After
Brushing your teeth isn’t the only way of getting rid of excess sugar.
You can also drink some water after you’ve eaten cookie dough so that excess sugar it has left behind in your mouth can be washed away.
Other Alternatives To Cookie Dough To Eat With Braces
If you’re not convinced, and you want to know some suitable alternatives to cookie dough to eat with braces, then stick around.
If you’ve decided you’re happy to carry on eating cookie dough with braces, well, stick around as well because there are plenty more treats and candies to be enjoyed.
You can identify these threats and candies yourself. When staring at the mesmerizing treats on the store shelves, try to avoid those that are hard, sticky, chewy, and high in sugar content.
These are the characteristics that pose threats of brace damage and tooth decay.
If you need inspiration, here is a list of alternatives I recommend to get you on your way:
- Soft Cakes
- Soft Puddings
- Soft Cookies (like Oreos)
- Dark Chocolate
- Hershey’s Kisses
- Peep’s Candy
- Dove
- York and Junior Mints
- Maltesers
- Twix
- Wispa
- Nestles Crunch
- Andes Chocolate
- Hershey’s Cookies & Cream bars
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Reese’s Sticks
- Mallo-Cups
- Smarties
- Soft or Chewy Sweet-tarts
- White Chocolate Bars
- Aero
- Peppermint Patties
- Cadbury Eggs (as long as you break into pieces first)
- Three Musketeers
- Flake
- Twirl
- Galaxy
- MilkyWay
- Bounty
Finally
So, you won’t have to avoid cookie dough for your entire brace-wearing days.
That’s good news.
But the fact that there are many other safe candy alternatives is also good news.
Whatever you decide to eat with your braces, you must always watch out for your braces!
So keep those brackets clean!
Related Guides
- Can You Eat Pop Tarts With Braces?
- Can You Eat Marshmallow With Braces?
- Can You Eat Chocolate With Braces?
- What Candy Can You Eat With Braces?
- Best Candy For Braces • The 5 That Are Safe To Eat! •
Hello, I’m Matthew, a candy expert and enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the candy industry. My passion for candy started at a very young age. Since then, I have worked in numerous, large candy stores, and have been fortunate enough to try out hundreds of brands of candies, different types and flavors. In addition to my work, I enjoy sharing my extensive knowledge with others, and decided to create Sugar Stand in order to do so. My mission is to make the world a sweeter place, one candy at a time.