PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION WITH…
Hard Foods to Watch Out For
- Chips
- Nuts
- Popcorn
- Bagels
- Apples
- Corn on the Cob
- Pizza Crusts
- Carrots (uncooked)
- Doritos
- Pretzels
- Ice Cubes
Sticky Foods to Watch Out For
- Taffy
- Caramels
- Sugar Daddies
- Starbursts
- Candy/Caramel Apples
- Sugar Babies
- Peanut Brittle
- Licorice
- Toffee
- Tootsie Rolls
- Now & Laters
HARD FOODS (See chart to the right)
Hard foods may cause damage by bending the wires, loosening the cement under the bands or breaking the brackets that are bonded to the teeth. Examples of hard foods and the proper way they may be eaten are listed to the right. Please note these are examples only and common sense should prevail.
APPLES/PEARS AND OTHER FRUITS:
Cut into thin wedges or bite size pieces and chew with the back teeth. Do not bite into them with the front teeth.
BAGELS:
Room temperature bagels are too chewy and will break your braces. Only eat them if they are fresh out of the oven and torn into small bite size pieces which can be chewed with the back teeth.
CARROTS/CELERY:
Grate, cook or cut into thin pieces. Chew with the back teeth.
CHICKEN WINGS, CORN ON THE COB, CHICKEN, RIBS:
Cut off cob and cut the meat off the bone
FRENCH BREAD, HARD ROLLS:
Avoid hard crusts, pull off bite size pieces- do not tear into with mouth.
HARD COOKIES:
You can have these if you soften them with milk.
PICKLES:
Cut them into small bite-sized pieces.
PIZZA CRUST:
Avoid the crust; the rest of the pie is fine
ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED…
GUM
Regardless of the type of gum, it is too chewy, will stick to your braces/appliance, loosen them, and cause the braces to break and wires to bend. This will increase your treatment time and may cause teeth to move in the wrong direction.
STICKY FOODS (See chart to the right)
Sticky foods can damage the appliances by bending wires and loosening the cement pulling the braces off the teeth. Examples of sticky foods are listed to the right. Please note these are examples only and common sense should prevail.
LIMIT…
FOODS HIGH IN SUGAR CONTENT
The bacteria which cause tooth decay, white marks and gum disease require sugary food to live. Brush your teeth immediately after eating. Examples of high sugar content are listed below. Please note these are examples only and common sense should prevail.
- Candy
- Ice Cream
- Cake
- Cookies
- Pie
- Soda
- Drinks with Sugar
HABITS TO AVOID…
- Nail biting
- Pen or pencil chewing
- Sleeve biting
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