Eating with braces

If you’ve got braces you should aim to eat a balanced diet, and eat foods that are low in sugar, are soft, and don’t require excessive chewing. The kinds of food to avoid with braces are generally:

• Sticky Foods
• Chewy foods
• Crunchy foods
• Hard foods – or those that require a forceful bite.
• Sugary foods and drinks

What Specific Foods To Avoid

We get a range of clients who ask questions about what specific foods to avoid. Whilst the types of food listed above can act as a good guideline, we’ve also compiled a list of specific foods to avoid eating if you have braces.

• Corn On The Cob
• Hard & Chewy Candy
• Popcorn
• Gum
• Raw Vegetables
• Chewy Bread & Meat

You should avoid eating corn on the cob as it may damage your braces. We recommend cutting it off instead, and ensuring you thoroughly clean your teeth afterwards.

Imagine biting into a hard piece of corn on the cob. As you imagine this scenario, you can see how quickly corn on the cob could damage your braces. The act of biting it could break your wires or your brackets.

What to eat instead: Try cutting the corn off the cob with a sharp knife and eating the corn pieces with a fork. You’ll still get the fresh taste from corn on the cob without risking broken braces.

You should avoid hard or chewy candy with braces, as these may damage them or get stuck under your brackets.

Like corn on the cob, hard candy is difficult to chew and can damage your braces. 

Candies to avoid include:

• Lollies
• Liquorice
• Nougats
• Chewy candy bars
• Taffy

Some of these treats, like taffy, can get stuck around and under your brackets. It can be difficult to remove this candy residue, even with brushing and flossing.

What to eat instead:  Eat chocolate or candy that dissolves in your mouth and doesn’t require chewing.

You should avoid chewy foods like gum due to the pressure they require to chew, which may damage the braces.

Chewing gum puts a lot of pressure on your braces, causing the wire to bend and break. If the wire is bent, your braces can’t move your teeth into the right position. Your orthodontist will need to replace the wire. Bending the wire could prolong your time with braces.

What to eat instead:  If you want to freshen your breath, suck on a breath mint instead. Just remember not to chew it.

You should avoid hard fruits and vegetables as the pressure required to bite into them may damage your braces.

You can’t imagine someone telling you not to eat your veggies. But if you have braces, you shouldn’t eat raw vegetables or hard fruits like:

• Celery
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Apples
• Pears

Continue to eat vegetables, because these healthy foods give your teeth the nutrients they need.

What to eat instead:  You can still eat these vegetables—simply boil them until they’re soft.

You should avoid foods like bread and pizza that are particularly difficult to bite or chew, or eat them in moderation.

You may find that some foods you eat on a regular basis suddenly become difficult to chew. These foods include:

• Baguettes
• Pizza crust
• Steak
• Bagels
• Hard pretzels

You may be able to eat these foods by cutting them into tiny pieces and eating them slowly, bite by bite.

What to eat instead:  Try incorporating softer foods into your diet, such as mashed potatoes, pasta and soup.

Paying attention to what you do and don’t eat can protect your braces and your teeth. When you eat the correct foods, you won’t damage your braces, hurt your teeth or prolong your treatment.

If you can’t stand the thought of giving up these foods, consider Invisalign instead of traditional braces. Invisalign treatment involves a series of clear aligners. You can remove these aligners to eat, so you are free to eat what you normally would.

If you have questions about what you can and can’t eat, talk to an orthodontist. He or she will also provide you with additional advice to care for your teeth while you wear braces. Keep referring to our blog for more information about living a healthy life with braces.