Foods to Avoid

After we place your braces, stick to soft foods until any discomfort subsides—typically for a week. Throughout your treatment, remember to stay away from sticky, hard, crunchy food and candy 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