Watch What You Eat

Photo Provided by Oralb.com

Braces are used as a treatment to bring out your best smile and with that come a lot of changes. One of the biggest change could be what now can and cannot eat.

You hear it constantly, “brush twice a day, floss daily, visit your dentist twice a year and be sure to make all of your orthodontic appointments”, and this is all said to ensure you maintain good oral health. Besides oral maintenance, what effects the progress of your treatment is what you eat. While you have braces you want to avoid certain types of foods, basically anything sticky, chewy, hard and crunchy. 

Here’s a list of treats you will have to avoid during your braces treatment.

Examples of Sticky Foods to Avoid:

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



Photo Provided by kilwins.com 

• 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)
• Bagels
• Chips
• Jolly Ranchers
• Pizza crust
• Uncooked carrots (unless cut)

It is important to not consume these foods. By eating the foods above you can damage your braces which could make your treatment longer than expected and we want you to have the best experience during your time of treatment.

In the meantime you here’s a list of great foods you can enjoy with braces.

• Dairy - pudding, soft cheeses
• Breads – sliced lunch bread, soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins w/o nuts, biscuits
• Grains – noodles, pasta, soft-cooked rice
• Meats/poultry - soft-cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats
• Seafood - fish w/o bones, tuna, salmon, crab and crab cakes
• Vegetables - mashed potatoes, peas, yams, steamed spinach, beans
• Fruits - applesauce, bananas, fruit juice
• Treats - ice cream w/o nuts, milkshakes, smoothies, Jell-O, cake
• Other – eggs, hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, beans and much more

We aware that Halloween is approaching soon and we want you to enjoy yourself, but we also want you to remember it is Orthodontic Health Month. With braces always be mindful of what you are eating, the wrong food can lead to a sooner than expected visit with Dr. Bailey.