Wear & Care List

As a new orthodontic patient, there are certain foods you should avoid or modify to prevent damaging your orthodontic appliances. The following list is not all-inclusive, but the suggestions should be helpful. You can ask our team if you have any questions regarding diet.

Wear & Care List

What to avoid with braces

  • Gum
  • Taffy
  • Caramel
  • Dots
  • Jellybeans
  • Milk Duds
  • Gummy Bears
  • Bit O’Honey
  • Marshmallow products
  • Caramel Corn
  • Candy bars with chewy caramel & nuts
  • Fruit Snacks
  • Licorice
  • Tootsie Rolls
  • Starburst
  • Skittles
  • Hard candies (i.e. Jolly Ranchers)
  • Jawbreakers
  • Peanut M&Ms
  • Popcorn
  • Ice
  • Power bars
  • Pencils
  • Pens
  • Toothpicks
  • Opening things with your teeth
  • Beef jerky
  • Hard nuts

Foods to modify with braces

  • Apples, raw carrots, and other hard fruits and vegetables should be cut into thin bite-sized pieces.
  • Cut corn on the cob, taken off the cob.
  • Modify hard crust pizzas, bagels, tacos, and chips by breaking them into small pieces.
Foods to modify with braces

Foods you can eat
with braces

There are several things to avoid while wearing braces; however, there are still many foods you can enjoy! Here are some examples:

  • 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 cakes

All these different types of foods have something in common…. they are soft foods! Make sure to keep this in mind when making dinner or going out to eat. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please let us know!

Foods you can eat with braces

Oral hygiene

We cannot stress enough the importance of healthy gums and teeth. Gum infections may occur if plaque is left on the teeth. Permanent enamel damage can also occur with insufficient oral hygiene. Continue to see your general dentist for regular cleanings and checkups during your orthodontic treatment.

Brushing:

Mouth rinses:

Flossing:

Living with retainers & aligners

We have done a lot of talking about braces, but what happens after you get into the retention phase?

You’ll be fitted with a retainer or clear aligners to ensure your smile stays perfect. We’ll be going through some dos and don’ts on these as well!

Can I drink anything?

Where do I put my retainer/clear aligner when not in use?

How to clean your aligners

Aligners will eventually need to be replaced

Lost or broken appliance?

Call us right away if something gets lost or broken. To maintain your results, a retainer is required. So a new one will need to be fabricated. Additional fees are required for replacements.

Contact us
Lost or broken appliance?