For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. 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 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
- Tootsie Rolls
- Toffee
- Caramels
- Starburst
- Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid:
- Ice
- Nuts
- Hard taco shells
- French bread crust/rolls
- Apples (unless cut into small pieces)
- Starburst
- 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
- Alternate Choices:
- Dairysoft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks
- Breadssoft tortillas, pancakes, muffins without nuts
- Grainspasta, soft cooked rice
- Meats/poultrysoft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
- Seafoodtuna, salmon, crab cakes
- Vegetablesmashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans
- Fruitsapplesauce, bananas, fruit juice
- Treatsice cream without nuts, milkshakes, Jell-O, cake
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.