While you are wearing braces, please avoid eating hard and sticky foods. Hard foods can break or damage the wires and brackets, and sticky foods can get caught between the wires and brackets.
As always, it is wise to minimize the amount of sugary foods you eat & drink, as sugar can cause tooth decay and other health related problems.
Examples of Sticky Foods to Avoid:
- Gum (sugar-free or regular)
- Licorice
- Sugar Daddies
- Toffee
- Tootsie Rolls
- Caramels
- Starburst
Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid:
- Ice
- Nuts
- Hard taco shells
- French bread crust/rolls
- Corn on the cob
- Apples and carrots (unless cut into small pieces)
- Bagels
- Jolly Ranchers
- Pizza crust
Minimize Sugary Foods like:
- Soda
- Sweetened tea
- Sports drinks
- Juices
- Sweets and candies
We encourage patients to quit bad habits, such as fingernail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects. All of these activities can break or damage your braces.
It's important to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. If you have a loose/broken wire or bracket, please call our office to schedule a repair appointment.