Although patients are able to eat or drink many foods while in orthodontic treatment, there are certain food culprits that can damage orthodontic appliances and braces.

Eating the wrong foods can distort wires, causing treatment delays and extra visits for repairs.

•	In general, hard, brittle, crunchy and sticky foods should NOT be eaten during orthodontic treatment. Hard crunchy foods can bend and break the brackets and wires, while sticky foods may loosen them.
•	Certain foods may be eaten if they are prepared in a special way. Whole fruits and vegetables or any raw foods such as apples, celery and carrots should be sliced and eaten carefully. Hard crusty breads should be broken and eaten in small pieces. Corn may be eaten if sliced off the cob.
•	Do not suck on lemons or limes (citric acid in juice can dissolve tooth enamel) and especially do not suck or chew ice cubes. Chewing ice cubes can be very destructive to your orthodontic appliances and teeth.
•	Limit foods with a high sugar content The best time to eat sweet food is during a meal. During a meal, the mouth produces more saliva, which helps dilute acids and rinse food from orthodontic appliances. If possible, brush immediately after eating. If it is not possible to do so, rinsing with clear water will help.
•	Keep fingernails, pencils and other objects out of your mouth. Do not put anything in your mouth that may tend to bend, break, pry, pull or knock off the brackets.

The following is a list of only some of the foods you should avoid. Consult your new patient package for a more detailed list. You should use your own good judgment while eating anything. And no matter what you eat, please remember to clean the teeth and gum tissue thoroughly afterwards - especially before bedtime.

Your braces' biggest enemies.

Hard Foods:
Popcorn
Nuts
Peanut brittle
Ice cubes
Hard candy
Hard chips
Candied apples
Corn-on-the-cob (corn off the cob is better)

Sticky Foods:
Gum - no way!
Fruit Roll-ups
Gummy bears
Taffy and caramels
Starburst
Bit-O-Honeys
Skittles
Milk Duds, etc.

Be careful with these foods:
Carrots - grate or cut into tiny pieces
Apples - cut into wedges - don't bite from a whole apple
Hard French bread - tear into small pieces

 

Other Orthodontic "No-No's": - Biting your lip - Pushing your tongue against your teeth - Chewing on pencils or pens - Tearing things with your teeth - Biting your fingernails

 

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