Food to Avoid

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, 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

Cake, Ice Cream, Cookies, Pie, Candy, 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.