Orthodontic treatment with braces is an effective path toward a straighter smile. This process requires a temporary but significant change in daily habits concerning the foods you consume. Modifying your diet is necessary to ensure the success and efficiency of the treatment. Making informed food choices helps protect the hardware of your braces, which keeps your treatment on schedule.
How Foods Cause Damage to Braces
The physical components of braces—the brackets, wires, and bands—are engineered to apply gentle, continuous pressure to your teeth. Damage occurs when this hardware is subjected to forces it was not designed to withstand. Hard foods require a strong biting force that can easily snap the wire or shear a bracket off the tooth surface.
Sticky or chewy foods present a different, more gradual threat. These items can wrap around the archwire and brackets, and pulling the food away can dislodge a bracket or unseat the wire from its slot. Food debris trapped around the hardware creates an environment where plaque bacteria thrive, increasing the risk of enamel decay and staining near the bracket edges. Any damage can interrupt the planned tooth movement and extend the treatment duration.
The Essential Foods to Avoid
Avoiding specific textures is the most effective way to prevent damage. Foods are categorized by the type of mechanical stress they place on the appliance.
Hard and Crunchy Foods
Foods that require a high degree of force pose the greatest immediate risk to the brackets and wires. Avoid chewing on ice, popcorn kernels, nuts, and hard candies. Hard-crusted bread, such as bagels or hard rolls, and crunchy snacks like chips and pretzels, can also apply enough stress to loosen a bracket.
Sticky and Chewy Foods
The pulling action of sticky foods can dislodge brackets or bend the archwire, and their texture makes them difficult to clean out of the appliance. Sticky candies like caramels, taffy, and toffee are the most common culprits. Chewing gum, even sugar-free varieties, presents a major entanglement hazard that gums up the wires and brackets. Dense, chewy granola bars or fruit roll-ups should also be avoided due to their adhesive nature.
Foods Requiring Front Biting or Tearing
Many otherwise safe foods can cause damage if the patient bites into them improperly using their front teeth, which are often covered with brackets. Biting directly into a whole apple, a raw carrot, or corn on the cob can exert enough leverage to pop off a bracket. These items should always be cut into small, bite-sized pieces that can be chewed with the back teeth. Tough meats like beef jerky or ribs, which require forceful tearing, should be avoided or cut from the bone first.
Safe and Recommended Meal Choices
A braces-friendly diet should focus on items that are soft, require minimal chewing, and do not stick to the appliance. These foods are helpful immediately following an adjustment when the teeth are sensitive or sore. Smooth options like yogurt, mashed potatoes, and soups are excellent choices that provide nutrition without stress.
Safe options include soft cooked vegetables, such as steamed spinach or well-cooked carrots, and soft fruits like bananas, berries, and melon. Recommended protein sources include scrambled eggs, soft cheeses, and tender, slow-cooked meats or fish. Pasta, rice, and soft breads (avoiding hard crusts) form a safe foundation for meals. Cutting everything into small, manageable pieces before eating is an effective precaution.
What To Do When Braces Are Damaged
Damage to the braces can occasionally occur, and knowing the proper immediate steps is important. If a wire is poking or causing irritation, a small piece of orthodontic wax should be flattened and placed over the sharp point for temporary relief. A loose bracket still attached to the wire can also be covered with wax to prevent rubbing against the cheek or lip.
If a bracket is completely detached or a wire is significantly bent, call the orthodontist’s office immediately to schedule a repair appointment. Attempting to fix the appliance at home is strongly discouraged, as this can cause further damage. While waiting, stick to soft foods and rinse the mouth with warm salt water to soothe irritated areas.