If you’ve had your braces fitted then you’re one step closer to having your teeth straight, confident and healthy. Small metallic or ceramic brackets are attached to your teeth by your orthodontist and connected by flexible arch-wires. These wires gently put pressure on your teeth to slowly get them into the right position over several months. Unfortunately though, this hardware will change your daily routine and you’ll have to make changes to what you eat. Eating the wrong foods will cause your wires to warp, your brackets to break and sugar will become stuck around your teeth causing your treatment to take longer.

By knowing which foods to avoid you’ll keep your braces safe and your teeth healthy. Below is a complete list of foods to avoid:

Why You Should Be Careful With What You Eat

Your braces are a complex piece of kit made up of brackets, bands and thin wires. Every part needs to be in the correct position to help shift your teeth. Eating hard, sticky or chewy foods will put too much pressure on your hardware.

  • Protection for Brackets – Hard foods will hit your brackets causing the glue to break and they’ll come off.

  • Warping Wires – Sticky and chewy foods will pull on your arch wires causing them to warp.

  • Tooth Decay – Sugary and starchy foods will get stuck on your brackets causing bad bacteria to grow and cause white spot lesions or holes.

  • No Emergency Visits – Eating brace friendly foods will mean you won’t have to rush to your orthodontist for any breakages.

  • Fast Results – Eating the right foods will ensure your treatment goes as planned.

Hard Foods

The worst foods to eat whilst wearing braces are hard foods. When you bite down on hard foods it causes too much pressure on your brackets causing the glue to instantly break.

  • Hard Candies – Although eating hard candies may seem harmless, accidentally biting down on them will cause your brackets to instantly break. Avoid eating lollipops, jawbreakers and mints.

  • Ice Cubes – Chewing ice will cause damage to your natural teeth and your orthodontic brackets. Never chew ice cubes.

  • Nuts & Seeds – Almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds and macadamia nuts have hard shells and thick centers meaning they’ll cause your wires to break and your brackets to come off.

  • Hard Pretzels & Chips – Tortilla chips, potato chips and hard pretzels will snap into sharp pieces and get stuck under your wires.

  • Popcorn Kernels – Popcorn kernels will get stuck under your gums and cause your arch wires to warp.

  • Biscotti & Hard Cookies – These dense foods require a lot of pressure to bite into causing your brackets to snap off.

Sticky Sweets

Sticky foods will cause your arch-wires to be pulled and cause sugary residue to get stuck on your teeth.

  • Caramels & Toffees – Soft caramels and chewy toffees will wrap around your brackets and cause your wires to be pulled.

  • Chewing Gum – Chewing gum will get stuck on your brackets and elastic bands. It’ll be a pain to scrape off.

  • Gummy Bears & Worms – These gel sweets will get stuck to your orthodontic cement making them very difficult to remove. They’ll cause fast cavity growth.

  • Fruit Roll-Ups & Taffy – These sticky fruit based sweets will cause your brackets to become loose.

  • Licorice – Black and red licorice are very chewy and will wrap around your brackets causing your wires to warp.

  • Marshmallows – Sticky marshmallows will get stuck on your orthodontic hardware.

Chewy Foods

Chewy foods will cause you to bite and grind for longer causing your arch wires to warp and your bands to loosen.

  • Bagels & Stiff Bread – Thick bagels and stiff French baguettes will cause you to pull your front teeth to cause your brackets to come off. Cut your bread into small pieces.

  • Gummy Meats & Jerky – Beef jerky and tough meats will be difficult to chew causing fibers to wrap around your wires.

  • Caramel Apples – Biting into a whole caramel apple will instantly damage your braces. The hard center with sticky caramel will cause your brackets to break and your wires to warp.

  • Gummy Granola Bars – Sticky granola bars will have sticky honey, oats and nuts stuck in your brackets.

  • Pizza Crust – Tough pizza crust will cause you to chew aggressively causing your arch wires to be stressed and your molar bands to loosen.

  • Subs & Thick Wraps – Large sandwiches will cause you to bite down hard.

Crunchy Foods

These foods will cause your braces to become damaged as they’ll break into sharp pieces. Although not as dense as hard foods, they’ll still cause damage.

  • Whole Carrots & Raw Veggies – Biting into whole raw carrots or crisp apples will cause your brackets to come off. Cut your raw veggies into thin slices.

  • Hard Taco Shells – Crunchy taco shells will break into sharp pieces on the first bite.

  • Granola & Cereal Clusters – These dense cereals will not soften in your milk and will get stuck under your arch wires.

  • Pita Chips – Thick pita chips will break into sharp jagged pieces causing your cheeks to be poked and your brackets to warp.

  • Rice Cakes – Dry rice cakes will break into sharp crumbs.

  • Toast – Hard toast will break into sharp pieces causing your gums to be scratched.

Sweet Drinks

Sweet liquids will run around your brackets and between your teeth. If not cleaned properly they’ll cause bacteria to grow and damage your enamel.

  • Sodas – Cola and flavored sodas will cause your enamel to melt due to the high amounts of sugar and acid.

  • Sweet Fruit Juices – Packaged fruit juices will cause your teeth to be covered in concentrated fructose and cause fast cavity growth.

  • Sports & Energy Drinks – Sports drinks are very popular but are high in acidity and sugar causing your enamel to weaken and your clear elastics to stain.

  • Sweet Tea & Coffee – Adding sugar or honey to your daily tea and coffee will cause your brackets to be covered in sticky liquid.

  • Flavored Milks – Chocolate milk and other flavored milks will leave sugary residue on your wires.

  • Sweet Lemonade – Lemonade is high in acidity and sugar causing your enamel to be attacked quickly.

Foods That Require A Hard Bite

Some foods will require you to bite down hard with your front teeth causing brackets to come off your top and bottom incisors.

  • Whole Apples & Pears – Biting into a crisp apple will cause a huge amount of pressure on your front brackets. Always cut your apples into thin slices.

  • Corn On The Cob – Tearing the kernels off your corn with your front teeth will cause your wires to warp and your brackets to rip. Cut the kernels off first.

  • Whole Stone Fruits – Peaches, plums and nectarines have hard centers so be careful to cut them up.

  • Raw Root Vegetables – Radishes, turnips and raw beets will be difficult to bite.

  • Whole Burgers – Thick hamburgers will cause you to open your mouth wide and bite down hard causing your arch wires to warp. Cut your burgers into smaller pieces.

  • Ribs – Tearing meat off the bone will cause you to use your front teeth aggressively causing your braces to be destroyed.

Foods To Eat

You don’t have to starve yourself whilst wearing braces! There are lots of soft and healthy foods you can eat.

  • Soft Fruits – Bananas, berries, grapes, watermelon, mangoes and soft peaches will give you vitamins.

  • Cooked Veggies – Steamed broccoli, soft carrots, mashed potatoes and cooked squash will give you lots of nutrients.

  • Dairy – Milk, yogurt, soft cheeses and cottage cheese will give you strong teeth and are completely safe.

  • Soft Grains & Pasta – Rice, pasta, porridge, pancakes and soft noodles will fill you up without warping your wires.

  • Soft Meats & Fish – Minced beef, baked chicken, soft fish and meatballs will give you essential proteins.

  • Smoothies – Smoothies made with fruits and yogurt will give you the most nutrition with no chewing required.

Top Tips

Eating the right foods will make your orthodontic journey pain free and hassle free.

  • Cut Into Small Pieces – Cut your apples, meats and veggies into small pieces to avoid stressing your front brackets.

  • Chew With Back Teeth – Chew your soft foods with your back molars.

  • Eat Slowly – Eat your food in small pieces and chew slowly.

  • Take A Travel Toothbrush – Take a travel toothbrush and inter-dental brush with you to clean your braces after eating.

  • Drink Lots Of Water – Drink lots of water throughout your meal.

  • Don’t Use Your Teeth – Don’t open packaging or bite your fingernails.

Daily Hygiene

Keeping your teeth as clean as possible will prevent any staining, gum disease or tooth decay.

  • Brush After Meals – Brush your teeth for 2 minutes after every meal using a soft bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste.

  • Inter-dental Brushes – Use small inter-dental brushes to clean under your arch wires.

  • Floss Daily – Use orthodontic floss threaders to floss between your teeth.

  • Mouthwash – Rinse with anti-septic or fluoride mouthwash daily to strengthen your enamel.

  • Attending Appointments – Attend all your appointments.

  • Check Brackets Daily – Check your brackets in the mirror every evening.

Avoiding these foods whilst wearing braces will keep your braces safe, your teeth healthy and your smile transformed. By avoiding hard, sticky, chewy and crunchy foods you’ll keep your investment safe and have a shiny smile.