Now that you’ve made the decision to get braces, it’s up to you to keep them clean and damage-free. Braces can often trap food. Did you know that certain foods can also cause your braces to break and speed up food decay?
Here are the top 6 types of food to avoid:
- Sticky foods: Avoid gum, taffy, Starburst, gummy bears, licorice, Tootsie Rolls, jelly beans, fruit roll-ups, gummy fruit snacks, peanut brittle, and caramels.
- Chips: Potato chips, tortilla chips, and hard taco shells can easily get stuck in your teeth and braces.
- Hard foods: Hard candies, pizza crust, pretzels, and bagels can bend wires and knock off brackets. Dunk hard cookies in milk.
- Crunchy fruits and vegetables: Cut raw carrots, apples, and pears into pieces to minimize breakage.
- Nuts of any kind: This includes granola and crunchy peanut butter.
- Corn: Avoid popcorn completely and no eating corn on the cob, unless you remove the kernels.
After you eat or drink, make it a habit to rinse your mouth with water. If possible, it’s best to brush your teeth after you eat anything.
We really love seeing our patients, but I think we both agree, it’s best to avoid emergency visits to the orthodontist. Accidents happen so if you do need to see us, feel free to call our office for an appointment.
