Why you need to be careful
You will find you’re able to eat and enjoy most foods with braces. By following all our instructions carefully, you will help in achieving the best orthodontic results. With excellent cooperation, your treatment will be completed on time, while avoiding extra visits to the office to repair broken or loose braces.
Foods to Avoid
- Hard, sticky candies such as Snickers, Jolly Ranchers, Airheads, or Fruit Rollups
- Gum of any kind, caramels, taffy, candied apples
- Ice cubes
- Nuts of any kind
- Hard pretzels
- Popcorn (the clear hulls get stuck under the gumline and cause gum irritation)
Foods to be sliced or broken up before eating
- Fresh corn should be cut off the cob first
- Apples
- Carrots and other raw vegetables
- Bagels, hard crusty breads, and hard pizza crusts
- Cut chicken and ribs off the bone before eating
Habits to Avoid
- Biting fingernails
- Chewing on pens, pen caps, and pencils
Carbonated Soft Drinks Cause Damage to Tooth Enamel
Please limit the drinking of all carbonated sodas to one per week. The acids in these drinks, including diet sodas, can cause permanent stains and scars on the front teeth. These stains occur along the gumline and are usually not visible until after your braces are removed. If you have a soda, please brush your teeth thoroughly as soon as possible.
We suggest milk, water, fruit juices, Crystal Light, or Snapple. During sports, it is best to drink water, because many sports drinks, including Gatorade, are also very acidic.
Let’s Work Together
Use common sense when choosing foods, and you will find your braces will be comfortable and your treatment will stay on schedule. Broken or loose braces will require extra, morning visits to the office and mean the braces will have to stay on longer.
Congratulations!
We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to achieving your goal of a healthy bite and beautiful smile!