Foods To Avoid With Braces

Did you recently get braces? Or perhaps you’re getting them soon? Part of getting braces involves getting a list of foods you should avoid. Knowing ahead of time allows you to enjoy those forbidden foods one last time before getting your braces on. But if you already have them, you’ll eventually be able to enjoy these foods again after your treatment is complete. Certain foods can damage your braces or get caught underneath your braces and cause you pain. Avoiding these foods can prevent extra trips to the orthodontist for braces repair. 

Here are 8 foods you should avoid if you have braces. 

1. Nuts. Most nuts are hard to chew and can cause damage to your braces if you eat them. 
2. Hard candy. Crunching or biting hard candy can damage your braces. Sucking on hard candy may seem safe, but most people end up biting on it.
3. Sticky candy. When you chew sticky candy it can get stuck on your braces and even pull brackets and bands off of your teeth. 
4. Hard taco shells. When you bite into a taco in a hard shell, you could damage your braces. It is safer to eat tacos in soft shells while wearing braces. 
5. Ice. Chewing on ice is one of the most common causes of damage to braces. Avoid it completely. 
6. Hard pretzels. Hard or crunchy pretzels can also damage braces. This includes small pretzel twists, pretzel sticks, and pretzel rods. 
7. Hard crackers. Some types of crackers can be too hard to eat with braces. 
8. Corn chips. Fritos, tortilla chips, and other types of corn chips can be too hard to eat with braces. 

10 Foods You Can Eat, But Should Cut Into Bite Size Pieces

There are some foods that are only harmful if you bite into them. The following foods should be cut into bite size pieces before eating. 

1. Crunchy raw vegetables. Carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, and other crunchy vegetables should be cut up if eaten raw, or cooked to be soft. 
2. Crunchy fruits. Avoid biting into apples or pears. Instead cut them into bite size pieces. Be careful to remove the pits from fruits like peaches, cherries, plums, etc. 
3. Pizza crust. Some pizza crusts can be very hard. Cut the crust up rather than biting into it, or just avoid it altogether.  
4. Hard bread. Bread that is hard or has a crusty outer layer should be cut or torn into bite size pieces. 
5. Corn on the cob. Cut corn off the cob before eating it. 
6. Meat. Meats that are difficult to chew, like steak, pork chops, and other chewy meats should be cut into very small pieces. 
7. Burgers. Don’t bite into a burger in a bun. Cut it up into bite size pieces. 
8. Subs. Sub sandwiches on crusty or hard bread can damage your braces if you bite into it. Cut these up too. 
9. Granola bars. Hard granola bars can cause damage if you bite into them. Chewy granola bars are usually safe, but can be sticky, so consider cutting up all granola bars. 
10. Soft pretzels. The name can be deceiving with soft pretzels. They can be hard and chewy, so cut them or tear them into bite size pieces. 

Ask Dr. Suzanne Stock, Orthodontist 

If you have any questions about what you should or should not eat while wearing braces, ask Dr. Suzanne Stock, Orthodontist. Our practice provides a wide range of orthodontic treatments to address any orthodontic issue patients have. We create a personalized treatment plan for each patient.

Call 319-338-8658 to schedule an appointment at our Iowa City location or (319) 800-9497 for our Fairfield, Washington, or Williamsburg offices. We look forward to helping you transform your smile.