An orthodontic patient who is careful can probably eat almost any food and not damage their appliances. However, many foods can cause a lot of trouble. These include nuts, ice, crisp taco shells, whole apples and carrots (cut them into pieces first), hard French bread crust and rolls, spareribs, corn on the cob (cut the corn off the cob before eating), and popcorn. These foods risk breaking brackets and wires. Also never put anything in your mouth that is not food, such as: nail biting and pen or pencil chewing habits, since these can damage your braces. Do not eat sticky foods such as taffy, caramels, bubble gum, and sticky candy of any sort. Please review the following list:

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.