Sticky foods are never a good idea for anyone to eat as the residue of the foods stick to your enamel, putting you at risk for tooth decay. However, there are certain people that should avoid them at all costs for fear of ruining their dental health even further.

Patients with Braces

If you have braces, sticky foods are not an option for you. The residue will not only stick to your enamel, but to your brackets as well. If they are sticky enough, the food debris can actually break or damage the brackets of your braces. This could cause you to need an emergency visit to the orthodontist as well as prolong your treatment. In addition, because sticky residue can get in between your brackets, the risk of decay and gum disease is heightened, decreasing the excitement of getting your brackets off and seeing unpleasant looking teeth.

Patients with Bridges

Bridges are meant to replace your missing teeth and provide you with a fully functioning mouth, which they do quite well. But, if you were to eat sticky foods with a bridge, you could wind up pulling the bridge right out of your mouth. The residue is often sticky enough to loosen the glue that holds the bridge in place, rendering it useless. It is best to avoid foods like sticky candies, fruit snacks, and chewing gum in order to prevent this from occurring.

Patients with Dental Restorations

Patients that have other dental restorations, such as veneers or dental bonding, should also avoid sticky foods. There really is nothing good that comes out of eating these foods that stick to your enamel and cause damage. Just because you have dental bonding or veneers, does not mean your teeth are free from the risk of decay. If decay occurs on these teeth with restorations, you will have to have the restorations completed again or possibly have to have more extensive work done down the road.

Sticky foods should be avoided at all costs by anyone, but especially those with special circumstances in their mouth. If you want your teeth to stay in optimal condition, choose foods that will not remain on your enamel long after you are done consuming it and always make sure to brush and floss your teeth as soon as you are able to after eating in order to enhance the health of your mouth now and well into the future.