Four Foods You’ll Want to Avoid when Wearing Braces

For the most part, wearing braces will fit into your life seamlessly, but there are a few changes that you will need to make. One of the most important is carefully considering which foods you can eat and which you should avoid.

If you want to protect your teeth and your expensive hardware, consider cutting these four food items from your diet.

Whole Hard Veggies and Fruits

Fruits and vegetables are important for a healthy diet and healthy teeth, but biting into an apple or a raw carrot isn’t a great idea when you have braces.

These hard items can cause your brackets or wires to pop off, so instead, consider cutting them up into manageable pieces. You’ll get the nutritional benefits without worrying about damaging your braces.

Foods Off the Bone

If you enjoy ribs or chicken wings, you’ll want to remove the meat from the bone now that you have braces. This will help you to avoid misaligning your braces. If you can’t eat these items off of the bone, it may be in your best interest to steer clear of them for the time being.

Gum and Chewy Candy

Chewy foods like gummy bears, chewing gum, taffy, and caramels should all be avoided with braces. They can get stuck in between your appliance and your teeth and can be difficult to remove, and the end result could be cavities.

Hard Foods

Hard foods, like nuts, pretzels, and candy canes also need to be avoided with braces. These foods can be especially damaging to your braces, and if part of your orthodontic work breaks off, it can be expensive to repair the problem. You should also avoid chewing on ice. Do you have additional questions about how to keep your teeth and orthodontic work safe with braces? Contact our office for guidance.