Food to Avoid with Braces

When wearing any orthodontic appliance that is cemented to your teeth, such as braces and expanders, you might need to modify your diet to eliminate:

HARD FOODS, SUCH AS…

  • Ice
  • Corn chips
  • Hard Candy (Jolly Ranchers, etc.)
  • Lollypops
  • Peppermint sticks and candy canes
  • Lifesavers
  • Large pretzels
  • POPCORN! Even though it is not hard, the kernels can get caught and pop off a bracket
  • Avoid biting directly into hard foods such as apples, carrot sticks, hard bread/bagels. Instead, cut them up and chew them with your back teeth!

STICKY FOODS, SUCH AS…

  • Gum (especially bubble gum)
  • Caramels
  • Taffy
  • Now and Later candy
  • Tootsie rolls
  • Starburst
  • Licorice
  • Skittles

ALSO, DON’T CHEW ON:

  • Pens
  • Pencils
  • Fingernails
  • ETC.

Use common sense when choosing food to put in your mouth. Just because you don’t see it on our list, doesn’t mean it won’t damage your braces! Remember that broken brackets and appliances slow down your treatment.