Foods To Avoid

While you are wearing braces, please avoid eating hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar. Hard foods can break or damage the wires and brackets, and sticky foods can get caught between the wires and brackets. Minimize the amount of sugary foods you eat; the sugar can cause tooth decay and other related problems.

Sticky Foods

  • Caramels
  • Caramel apples
  • Cinnamon bears
  • Gum
  • Licorice
  • Sugar Babies
  • Sugar Daddies
  • Toffee
  • Tootsie Rolls
  • Cake
  • Candy
  • Cookies
  • Ice cream
  • Pie
  • Drinks with sugar

Hard Foods

  • Corn on the cob
  • Doritos
  • Hard candy
  • Hard pretzels
  • Ice
  • Jerky
  • Nuts
  • Popcorn

Cut up Hard Foods

  • Apples
  • Bagels
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Pizza crusts
  • Steak

Protecting Your Braces

Foods high in sugar may cause tooth decay. To prevent tooth decay and plaque, brush after each meal and snack. Do not pull and pick on your appliances.

Eat Less

  • Cake
  • Candy
  • Cookies
  • Ice cream
  • Pie

Drink Less

  • Drinks with sugar
  • Pops

Do not chew on

  • Fingernails
  • Pens
  • Pencils