Food to avoid

Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with braces can eat or drink a wide variety of foods. However, there are a few foods that can damage orthodontic appliances and braces, bend wires, require extra visits for repairs and even set back treatment time.

• Generally speaking, patients wearing braces need to avoid eating hard, crunchy, sticky and brittle foods. These foods can bend and break the brackets and wires, and sticky foods can loosen them.
• Certain foods may be eaten if they are prepared in a special way. When eating raw vegetables and fruits, it is important to slice them first and eat them carefully. Hard, crusty breads should be broken and eaten in smaller pieces. Corn may be eaten if sliced off the cob.
• Do not suck on lemons or limes, as citric acid in juice can dissolve tooth enamel.
• Do not suck or chew ice cubes. Crunching on ice cubes can be very destructive to your orthodontic appliances and teeth.
• Limit foods with a high sugar content.
• The best time to eat sweet food is during a meal. During a meal, the mouth produces more saliva, which helps dilute acids and rinse food from orthodontic appliances. When possible, brush immediately after eating. If it is not possible to do so, rinsing the mouth with water will help.
• Keep fingernails, pencils and other objects out of your mouth. Do not put anything in your mouth that may tend to bend, pry, pull, break, or knock off the brackets.

Following is a list of several foods that should be avoided. Please refer to your new patient package for a more detailed list. When in doubt, use your own good judgment while eating anything. No matter what you eat, it is important that you clean the teeth and gum tissue thoroughly afterwards – particularly before bedtime.

Your Braces’ Biggest Enemies

Hard Foods:

• Popcorn
• Hard candy
• Nuts
• Peanut brittle
• Ice cubes
• Candied apples
• Hard chips
• Corn-on-the-cob (corn off the cob is better)

Sticky Foods:

• Gum
• Gummy bears
• Fruit Roll-ups
• Skittles
• Caramels
• Taffy
• Starburst
• Bit-O-Honeys
• Milk Duds

Be careful with these foods:

• Hard French bread – tear into small pieces
• Apples – cut into slices instead of biting from the whole apple
• Carrots – grate or cut into tiny pieces

Other Orthodontic “No-No’s”:

• Biting your lip
• Biting your fingernails
• Chewing on pencils or pens
• Pushing your tongue against your teeth
• Tearing things with your teeth