When wearing braces, certain kinds of food should be avoided to prevent damage to your braces or potential cavities. Damaging your braes can not only be painful, but also prolong your treatment.

Sticky, chewy Foods can damage wires and loosen brackets. Avoid:

• Caramel
• Jolly Rancher candies
• Chewy candy, taffy, gummy bears
• Gum. No gum! No gum! No gum!
• Chewy or crusty breads, ex. Bagels, French bread, pizza crust

Hard, crunchy foods can break braces or make them less effective. Avoid:

• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Hard Candy
• Chips
• Apples and carrots (unless cut into small/thin pieces)
• Ice
• Corn on the cob

If you must eat those foods, use caution. Cut crunchy or chewy foods into small pieces before you eat them, and eat them one at a time. In addition, it is generally recommended that you avoid sugary and starchy foods, which generate plaque acid that causes tooth decay and promotes gum disease.

Minimize sugary drinks and foods like:

• Cake
• Ice Cream
• Cookies
• Candy
• Soda
• Gatorade