Proper Eating Habits & Nutrition With Braces

Proper eating habits and nutrition are important when you have braces. Hard or sticky foods can damage your braces, so choose your foods wisely and pay attention to how you eat them. Loose brackets and bent wires slows down treatment!

Foods To Avoid With Braces

Do Not Eat!

These are the foods you should absolutely not eat for the whole duration of your treatment!

  • Chewing Gum (no exceptions)
  • Candy and sticky toffee, like licorice, jelly beans, taffy, etc..
  • Popcorn (gets stuck under the gum and becomes very painful)
  • Peanuts and nuts (unless soaked 2-3h in the water)
  • No corn chips such as nachos, Doritos, or tacos
  • Ice cubes chewing
  • Olives with pits
  • Lemon chewing (pure lemon juice is harmful to enamel)

Foods to Eat With Caution

The following foods must be cut before being eaten. Above all, do not bite into them:

  • Raw vegetables, especially carrots should be sliced thin or in small pieces.
  • Apples, pears, other hard fruits; cut them into quarters.
  • Corn on the cob; remove the kernels from the cob with a knife.
  • Baguette, croutons and pizza crust; do not eat if too hard.
  • Granola and cookies; cut into pieces or do not eat if too hard.
  • Ribs, chicken wings; cut meat with utensils.

Food To Eat With Caution When You Wear Braces

Avoid Sugary Food With Braces

Avoid Sugary Foods

Sugary foods should be avoided as much as possible, especially as a snack. Choose to eat them after meals and brush your teeth immediately after. If you are unable to brush, rinse your mouth with water. Avoid sugary and acidic beverages such as soft drinks and energy drinks, such as Gatorade. Watch out for juice, hot chocolate and sweet coffee by following these instructions:

  • Do not sip a sweet beverage over long periods at a time, every sip reactivates the acidity that causes cavities.
  • Rinse with water after drinking a sweet or acidic beverage.
  • Use a straw when possible.

Sensitive teeth

When an appliance is new or an adjustment is recent, your teeth may be sensitive for approximately 1-4 days. We recommend a light diet during the first few days. For example, you can eat:

  • Pasta
  • Omelets
  • Hearty soup
  • Pie
  • Fish
  • Yogurt

Sensitive Teeth With Braces

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