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Foods to Avoid While Wearing Braces

Everyone loves to eat delicious food, but having braces means that you have to take a little extra care with what you eat. Having food stuck in your braces is never a good look, and some foods can be very hard to clean out or even damage your braces. Luckily, there’s no need to worry; the majority of foods are still perfectly safe. 

Here we have put together a list of foods to avoid if you have braces, and also what foods are braces-friendly.

Foods You Should Avoid:

  • – Hard Food

    Anything that takes a lot of bite force should be avoided, as they can bend wires or cause a bracket to break. Popcorn (specifically the kernels you may accidentally bite into), nuts, hard bread, raw vegetables, and chewing on ice can all damage your braces.

  • – Sticky or Chewy Food

    Sticky foods or foods that are very chewy can easily get stuck in your teeth, wires, and brackets, and can be a pain to clean. They can cause a wire to pop out or a bracket to break off while trying to remove them. Gum containing sugar is public enemy number one for braces, along with caramel, taffy, jelly candies, and dried fruits. Honey and syrup can also get trapped in your braces.

  • – Sugary or Acidic Drinks

    Soda, coffee, sports/energy drinks can damage more than your teeth. They can actually begin to degrade the dental cement that holds your brackets to your teeth if you drink them too often. This can cause a bracket to come loose or pop off, and can also change the pressures pulling your teeth into place. This can slow down or even reverse the treatment progress.

  • – Avoid Taking Large Bites out of Food

    Biting deep into an apple or taking a big bite out of a double-decker sandwich can cause brackets to break off of your teeth, leading to a visit to the orthodontist for repair. Make sure that apples, corn on the cob, meat, potatoes, giant burgers, and other foods that take multiple bites are cut into bite-sized pieces.

Braces-Friendly Foods You Can Eat:

People may think that they have to give up their favorite foods when they get braces, but the truth is that there are still many more foods you can continue to eat. Remember to make sure to maintain a healthy diet, because a healthy body is just as important as a healthy mouth:
  • Dairy: yogurt, soft cheese, ice cream, pudding
  • Soft Bread/Grains: rice, sandwich bread, pancakes, muffins
  • Pasta: spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli, mac n cheese
  • Fruit: bananas, berries, grapes, applesauce
  • Vegetables: steamed veggies, mashed potatoes
  • Meat and Poultry: chicken, turkey, ham, beef (avoid meat on the bone, and cut it into bite-sized pieces)
  • Seafood: fish (salmon, tuna, etc.) shrimp, sushi
  • Liquid Foods: soup, milkshakes, smoothies

At Carlson Orthodontics, we believe your smile has the power to change your life. Since 2003, we have helped hundreds of patients create beautiful smiles, and you won’t be able to hold back your smile when you see the results. Contact us online for a free initial consultation or give us a call at the location nearest to you today!
  • Duluth Office: 1901 South Street, Suite 2 – Duluth, MN(218) 727-3789
  • Cloquet Office: 708 Stanley Avenue – Cloquet, MN(218) 879-3794
  • Superior Office: 3701 Tower Avenue – Superior, WI(715) 392-0229
  • Hayward Office: 10541 N. Ranch Road – Hayward, WI(715) 292-5148
  • Ashland Office: 1419 Beaser Avenue – Ashland, WI(715) 682-5958
  • Ironwood Office: 250 Roosevelt Street – Ironwood, MI(906) 932-9720