For most situations, common sense will tell you what foods to avoid with braces. 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 .jpg)
problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided.
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
- Chips
- Jolly Ranchers
- Pizza crust
- Uncooked carrots (unless cut)
Minimize Sugary Foods like:
- Cake
- Ice Cream
- Cookies
- Pie
- Candy
Only Once a Day:
- Soda
- Sweetened tea
- Gatorade
- Kool-Aid
- Drinks with sugar
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.
Oral Hygiene
Taking care of your teeth is important to ensure your smile remains beautiful and healthy for a lifetime. It’s even more important while you have braces. Check out our Oral Hygiene page for some specific instructions and tips on how to properly care for your teeth while in braces.
Emergency Info
While there are very few true orthodontic emergencies, we want to provide you with some helpful information to assist with some possible problems. Please view our Emergency Information page to find out what to do if your wires are irritating you, you have a loose bracket or band, you’ve lost a separator and more.