PART OF THE braces experience is the banned foods list. Our patients might be familiar with most or all of the types of food on the list, but do how about why it’s so important to avoid them?
Braces Aren’t Indestructible
Eating the wrong thing can break a bracket. We can fix that, of course, but any time a bracket isn’t attached is time the braces are less effective, and it could add to the overall length of treatment. Foods to completely avoid until the braces come off include popcorn, nuts, ice, chewing gum, hard candy, chewy candy, pizza crust, bagels or other hard rolls, crunchy vegetables and fruits, hard crackers, pretzels, and chips.
Not banned But Good to Avoid
Some foods aren’t on the list of foods that need to be avoided to protect the brackets but it’s still a good idea to cut back on them, like anything containing a lot of sugar. Braces make it much harder to clean all the remnants away, so plaque buildup is more likely.