Foods to Avoid

Choosing the right foods protects your braces and keeps treatment on schedule – broken brackets can add appointments and time.

Avoid

• Hard foods: ice, nuts, hard candy, popcorn kernels, hard pretzels and taco shells
• Sticky foods: caramel, taffy, gummy candy and chewing gum
• Foods you bite into: whole apples, raw carrots and corn on the cob – cut them into small pieces instead
• Chewing habits: pens, pencils and fingernails

Limit

• Sugary and acidic drinks such as soda, sports drinks and sweet tea, which raise the risk of cavities and white spots

Braces-friendly choices

• Pasta, rice, soft breads, eggs, yogurt, cheese, soups, fish, tender meats, bananas, berries and steamed vegetables