Foods to Avoid While Wearing Braces
For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems.
Examples of Sticky Foods to Avoid:
- Gum (sugar-free or regular)
- Licorice
- Sugar Daddies
- Toffee
- Tootsie Rolls
- Caramels and Taffy
- Starburst
- Fruit Roll-ups
- Gummy bears
- Skittles
- Milk Duds
Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid:
- Ice
- Nuts
- Hard taco shells
- French bread crust/rolls (tear into smaller pieces)
- Corn on the cob
- Apples and carrots (unless cut into small pieces)
- Bagels
- Chips and Popcorn
- Jolly Ranchers
Minimize Sugary Foods like:
- Cake
- Ice Cream
- Cookies
- Pie
- Candy
Only Once a Day:
- Soda
- Sweetened tea
- Gatorade
- Kool-Aid
- Drinks with sugar
Other Habits to Avoid:
- Nail biting
- Pencil and pen chewing
- Chewing on foreign objects
- Biting your lips
- Tearing things with teeth
It's important to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, call our office immediately to arrange an appointment for repair.
Caring for Your Appliances
Patient cooperation is a big part of successful orthodontic treatment. Please be sure to wear your appliance as prescribed, including your rubber bands, headgear, retainer or other appliance. If not, your treatment will be delayed and take longer to complete.
Also be sure to take care of your appliances. Avoid the foods listed above. Broken appliances require additional repair appointments and additional fees. Sometimes broken appliances cause unwanted tooth movement, and ultimately, delayed treatment.
We understand that appliances do break – even when you aren’t eating anything listed above! Take care of your appliances, and your treatment should run smoothly!
Loose Brackets or Bands
Call our office immediately for advice if a bracket or wire is loosened. The bracket may need to be re-fitted as soon as possible. You may have a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire at night or over the weekend. If you need to cut a wire in case of emergency, you may use fingernail clippers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. Please call our office the next business day, so that we may schedule an appointment for you.