Orthodontic No-No Food List
Foods to avoid
Our goal is to provide you with a beautiful smile. This can best be accomplished if your braces stay attached to your teeth. You need to be careful about what kinds of foods you eat as some hard or sticky foods can be trouble.
During the first week of your braces being placed, your teeth are adjusting to the new placements so they will feel slightly painful, it is advisable to eat soft foods i.e. porridge, mash potato, soup etc.
Please Avoid These Foods During Treatment
Sticky – Chewy/ Sugary
- Gum (Sugar or Sugarless)
- Carmel’s
- Carmel Apples
- Gummy Bears
- Gummy Worms
- Toffee
- Starburst
- Jelly Beans
- Fruit Roll-up
- Fruit Snacks
- Licorice
- Skittles
- Sugary drinks & Soda’s
Hard – Crunchy
- Crisps
- Hard Candy
- Jaw Breakers
- Pizza Crust
- Popcorn
- Biltong
- Nuts & seeds
- Cookies (Dunk Them In Mjlk)
- Whole crispy fruit & vegetables
- (Cut Into Pieces)
- Hard Breads (Tear Small Pieces)
- Corn On The Cob (Cut Off Cob)
- Meat (Cut Off Bone)
Other Orthodontic “No-No’s
- Lip Biting
- Biting Fingernails
- Chewing On Pencils or Pens
- Tearing or Opening Things with your Teeth
- Eating Lemons/Limes (harmful to tooth enamel)
Some Foods You Can Still Enjoy
- Peanut Butter Cups
- Cheese
- Pasta
- Yoghurt
For most situations, common sense will tell you what to stay away from. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Sugary foods cause tooth decay and related problems. Chewing on hard objects such as pencils, pens, or ice can also break or damage your braces. Remember, teeth move their best in a healthy environment and in individuals with excellent overall dental health. Patient cooperation is the key to successful orthodontics.
Check your braces occasionally for anything loose or bent. If a brace or band comes loose, or you break a wire, please call our office so that we can arrange an appointment to fix it. Patients that participate in sports that require a mouth guard should ask us about an orthodontic mouth guard. In case of any accidents involving the face, be sure to check your mouth and the appliances. If any appliances are loosened or damaged, contact our office immediately.
