Summer is the best time of the year for outdoor cookouts and gatherings with family and friends. But if you have braces, it's important that you don't let what you eat at this type of gathering turn your smile upside down. A number of common summer cookout foods can be risky to eat with braces, as they are hard enough that they can quickly damage your braces with just a single errant bite. Keep your next summer get-together fun -- and avoid an emergency appointment with the orthodontist -- by skipping these foods.

Chicken Wings And Ribs

The smell of chicken wings and ribs on the barbecue wafting through the summer air is enticing, but these foods are best to avoid in their original forms if you have braces. If you have the patience, however, wings and ribs are typically safe to eat if you take the time to cut or pull the meat off the bones -- just do so carefully to ensure there are no pieces of bone hidden in the meat. Sure, this approach might temporarily delay your salivating taste buds from getting fulfilled, but this approach ensures that you won't inadvertently bite into a bone that breaks a piece of your braces.

Ice Cubes

While ice cubes aren't a "food" per se, they're a fixture at summer gatherings due to their ability to keep your drink cold under the hot sun. It's all right to chill your drink with a few ice cubes, but it's best to avoid chewing on these solid chunks. The ice's hardness can easily knock part of your orthodontic work off your teeth and lead to an emergency visit to the orthodontist. Although you can opt for fridge-cold drinks without ice, there's another solution -- look for plastic "ice cubes" that contain a freezable substance similar to what's found in ice packs. They'll keep your drink cold and you won't be tempted to chew them.

Corn On The Cob

Corn on the cob is a staple at many summer get-togethers, but this sweet treat needs some attention before you enjoy it. Eating corn straight off the cob risks damage to your braces because of the cob's hardness. You can often enjoy this snack, however, by cutting off the kernels with a sharp knife. Add a little salt and butter to the pile of kernels on your plate and you'll hardly miss the cob at all.

Talk with an orthodontist, like those at Cazes Family Dentistry LLC, for more information and tips of what you can and cannot eat with braces.