What Not To Eat With Braces

You can use common sense when determining what not to eat with braces. Hard, sticky, and sugary foods are types of foods you want to avoid. Hard foods can break brackets and wires, sticky foods can get caught inside your braces, and sugary foods react with bacteria in your mouth to create enamel-rotting acid.

In honor of National Orthodontic Health Month, we at Rhode Island Orthodontic have compiled a list with some examples of foods you should definitely avoid while you have braces.

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:

• 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)

Minimize Sugary Foods like:

• Cake
• Ice Cream
• Cookies
• Pie
• Candy

Only Once a Day:

• Soda
• Sweetened tea
• Gatorade
• Kool-Aid
•  Drinks with sugar