Foods and Drinks to Avoid
Food and Drinks
One of the most important things while wearing your braces is your diet. If you break or damage your braces by eating incorrect foods, not only may you incur an extra appointment but it can also add to your treatment time.
Foods to be careful with
Hard foods such as:
- Popcorn
- Corn chips
- Rice snacks
- Nuts
- Crusty bread roll
Hard fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, carrots, celery, broccoli, etc., are best cut into small pieces and put at the back of your mouth to eat. Cut meat away from the bone and cut corn off the cob.
Foods to avoid
Sticky, sugary, chewy foods such as:
- Toffees
- Chewies
- Bubble-gum
- Roll-ups
- Minties
- Fantails
- Muesli Bars
- Anything chewy
These foods will pull wires out and “O” rings off.
They are also very high in sugar and can react with plaque to cause tooth decay.
Icy foods such as:
- Ice cubes
- Icy poles
- Ice creams
Drinks to avoid
- Soft drink
- Juice with added sugar
All soft drinks contain carbonated acid which dissolves the enamel on your teeth. Too many of these drinks will cause permanent markings on your tooth enamel. Excessive fruit juice is also damaging to your tooth enamel.
Remember it is best to drink water to quench your thirst.
Habits to avoid
- Nail biting
- Chewing on pens and pencils
Chewing on these items can break of brackets or damage wires or ‘o’ rings
Emergencies
If a part of your brace is broken or loose please ring us in advance to allow enough time to fix it. This ensures we do not run late for other people, or even you. Remember, the more breakages you have the longer your treatment will take.
To find out more about orthodontic emergencies and when it’s necessary to make another appointment, read our emergencies page here.