Foods to Avoid

Dr. Mac’s “No-No” List

For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided.

Examples of Sticky Foods to Avoid:

Gum (sugar-free or regular)
Licorice
Sugar Daddies
Toffee
Tootsie Rolls
Caramels
Starburst

Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid – they will totally destroy your braces!

Ice
Nuts
Hard taco shells
French bread crust/rolls
Corn on the cob
Apples and carrots (unless cut into small pieces)
Bagels
Chips
Jolly Ranchers
Pizza crust
Uncooked carrots (unless cut)

Other Foods to Avoid:

Hard Pretzels
Suckers
Ribs – knocks off brackets
Popcorn – the little shells get between the gum and band – and hurts like crazy!
Pens and pencils – favorite exam-time food that breaks everything

Minimize Sugary Foods like:

Cake
Ice Cream
Cookies
Pie
Candy

Only Once a Day:

Soda
Sweetened tea
Gatorade
Kool-Aid
Drinks with sugar

Eating these foods will loosen the braces, but you may not discover the problem until hours or days later. Loose bands, broken wires and detached brackets cause a longer treatment time.