Orthodontics and Food
The wrong types of food or eating the right kinds of food improperly can cause food to get caught in your braces, stick to braces, loosen braces, or bend wires.
Refrain from eating hard, chewy, or sticky foods. The following is a list of the most common foods to avoid:
- Ice
- Corn on the cob
- Whole apples (slice them)
- Biting meat off ribs (cut meat off the bone)
- Cereals with nuts/granola
- Biting chicken off the bone (cut chicken off the bone)
- Any type of nut (other than thinly sliced)
- Popcorn (because unpopped kernels and husks stick in gums)
- Candy (hard chocolate, chewy gummy bears, and gummy anything)
- Gum (can distort wires, which can move teeth in the wrong direction)
- Any whole hard fruit (apples, pears, peaches, etc.)
- Large pieces of any meat (cut into small slices)
- Avoid the hard ends or crust of pizza
- Chewing on pencils
- Taffy
We don’t want your orthodontic treatment to be a series of “don’ts”, but in general, don’t put anything (food or object) in your mouth that is HARD, CHEWY, or STICKY, no matter how small!
Discomfort
Since orthodontic appliances are bonded directly to the surface of your teeth, in most cases getting your braces put on is pain free. However, many patients experience some discomfort that evening especially when eating. This can last 2 to 3 days. A soft diet and the use of mild pain relievers, such as Advil are usually sufficient.
