eating habits

It is essential that you avoid foods which may damage your braces, wires or other appliances. To achieve the best results from treatment you must maintain a healthy, nutritional diet. Please avoid eating hard foods such as 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! By eating these foods you are risking breaking your brackets and wires, thereby extending your treatment time. Also avoid habits like nail biting and chewing on your pens, pencils and water bottles, since these can also cause damage to your braces. You should avoid eating sticky foods such as taffy, caramels, bubble gum, or sticky candy of any sort. A small piece of sugarless gum occasionally is acceptable. Use common sense about most foods. When your braces are placed, we will go over all the eating do’s and don’ts with you.

Foods to avoid with braces:

  • Chewy foods – bagels, licorice
  • Crunchy foods – popcorn, chips, ice, pretzels, Doritos, Pizza crusts
  • Sticky foods – caramel candies, chewing gum, starbursts, caramel apples, toffee, Tootsie rolls, Now and Laters, gum, jelly beans
  • Hard foods – nuts, hard candies
  • Foods that require biting into – corn on the cob, apples, carrots

Foods to eat much less of with braces:

  • Ice Cream, especially with crunchy toppings
  • Cake, Cookies
  • Pie
  • Foods with Sugar

Drinks to limit with braces:

  • Soda
  • Drinks with Sugar
  • Sports drinks

Foods you CAN eat with braces:

  • Dairy – soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
  • Breads – soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins without nuts
  • Grains – pasta, soft cooked rice
  • Meats/poultry – soft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
  • Seafood – tuna, salmon, crab cakes
  • Vegetables – mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
  • Fruits – applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
  • Treats – ice cream without nuts, milkshakes, Jell-O, soft cake