Having braces put on can be exciting: it’s the first step in the journey to a better, healthier smile. However, life with braces is a little different than life without them– especially when it comes to meal time! There are quite a few foods, including some favorites and chow-time staples, that just don’t get along with braces. Learning what they are and making the effort to avoid them can be the difference between a bright, straightened, on-time smile, or a stained smile that takes far longer than it should. 

Sticky Foods 

Sticky foods wreak havoc on your braces! Caramels, gummy bears, taffy, and gum can bend, and worse, break the wires of your braces. They can also separate your brackets from your teeth, possibly extending your time in braces.  These sweet treats are tempting, but you’re better off avoiding them while your braces are on.

Hard & Crunchy Foods

Like sticky foods, hard & crunchy foods can bend the wires of your braces and knock off your brackets. These are usually snack foods (the most tempting): chips, hard candies (think Jolly Ranchers), hard cookies, and crackers. The last snack in this group: popcorn. Sitting down to watch a movie without it might seem impossible, but it’s worth avoiding to prevent broken brackets and extended treatment time. 

Chewy Foods

Chewy foods can be just as damaging as Hard or Sticky foods. Eating chewy foods with braces on can often break your brackets. They can be difficult to clean from under your wires which can lead to cavities and gum disease!

Bagels, beef jerky, licorice and pizza crust are some examples of chewy foods to avoid. If you absolutely cannot live without bready pizza crust and bagels, breaking them into small pieces and chewing them with your back teeth is a good idea– but avoiding them all together is even better. 

Foods You Bite Into

This category might be one of the most frustrating for patients with braces. Biting into foods like apples, corn on the cob, and worse yet– burgers and hot dogs, could cause bent wires and broken brackets. It’s best to cut some of these summer cookout favorites into smaller, bite-sized pieces and avoid biting into them straight on. 

Acidic / Sugary Beverages

You might think your favorite juices and sodas are exempt from this sort of list. A nice, tall glass of Coca-Cola can’t break a bracket or bend a wire, can it? No, but what it can do is damage your tooth enamel. Acidic and Sugary beverages all cause tooth decay, damaging the enamel and leaving behind white spots. These spots are often permanent, even after your braces are removed! 

It may seem like a big sacrifice to forego your favorite foods while you’re getting your teeth straightened, and it is. But, when you’re taking proper care of your teeth and not having to come in to repair broken brackets or replace bent wires, the time flies! Do yourself a favor and avoid the foods on this list to fasttrack your way to a better, brighter smile.