Foods to Avoid with Braces

There are certainly foods to avoid when you get braces. While you have your braces, is important that you stick to foods that will not break your appliances. Broken appliances may result in delayed treatment.

For the first week after you get your braces, only eat soft foods until any discomfort subsides. Throughout your treatment, try to avoid eating hard, crunchy, or sticky foods and candies to keep from damaging your braces. Review our suggestions below to keep your appliances in perfect shape.

Foods to avoid with braces:

Chewy foods — bagels, licorice

Crunchy foods — popcorn, chips, ice

Sticky foods — caramel candies, chewing gum

Hard foods — nuts, hard candies

Foods that require biting into — corn on the cob, apples, carrots

Objects that you may chew or bite on – pencils, pens, water bottles, and mouthpieces

Foods you CAN eat with braces:

Dairy — soft cheese, pudding, milk-based drinks

Breads — soft tortillas, pancakes, muffins without nuts

Grains — pasta, soft cooked rice

Meats/poultry — soft cooked chicken, meatballs, lunch meats

Seafood — tuna, salmon, crab cakes

Vegetables — mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, beans

Fruits — applesauce, bananas, fruit juice

Treats — ice cream without nuts, milkshakes, Jell-O, soft cake

Click HERE to download a printable list of foods to avoid.