foods to avoid

Foods To Avoid

Although patients are able to eat or drink many foods while in orthodontic treatment, there are certain food culprits that can damage orthodontic appliances and braces.

For the first couple of days, you (patient) will need to read out loud to get used to talking with your new appliance. The reason we ask you to read is because when you see words you actually have to think about them to speak, and this helps train your tongue. You will also need to drink through a straw. This will help you get used to having the expander in the roof of your mouth.

Symptoms
Some symptoms to look for are headaches, popping in your ears, dizziness, blurry vision, runny nose, or anything else associated with pressure. This is due to the tissue being separated in the roof of the mouth, which recreates a bone growth area similar to the soft spot you had on your head as a baby. Most of these symptoms will not happen, and if they do, it will be very brief so no worries. For a runny nose, do NOT take decongestants or anything else to dry you up. Please just use tissues, this will pass in a day or two. If you start to run a fever, you will need to see your family physician. A fever is NOT associated with the expander.

Eating the wrong foods can bend and distort wires, causing treatment delays and extra visits for repairs.

In general, hard, brittle, crunchy and sticky foods should NOT be eaten during orthodontic treatment—hard crunchy foods can bend and break the braces and wires, while sticky foods may loosen them.

Certain foods may be eaten if they are prepared in a special way. Whole fruits and vegetables or any raw foods such as apples, celery and carrots should be sliced and eaten carefully. Hard crusty breads should be broken and eaten in small pieces. Corn may be eaten if sliced off the cob.

Do not suck on lemons or limes (citric acid in juice can dissolve tooth enamel) and especially do not suck or chew ice cubes. Chewing ice cubes can be very destructive to your appliances and teeth.

Limit foods with a high sugar content.
The best time to eat carbohydrates or other sugary foods is during a meal. The mouth produces more saliva during a meal which, in turn, helps to neutralize acid production and rinse food from the mouth. If possible, brush immediately after eating. If it is not possible to do so, rinsing with clear water will help.

Keep fingernails, pencils and other objects out of your mouth. Do not put anything in your mouth that may tend to bend, break, pry, pull or knock off the braces.

The following is a list of only some of the foods you should avoid. Consult your new patient package for a more detailed list. You should use your own good judgment while eating anything. And no matter what you eat, please remember to clean the teeth and gum tissue thoroughly afterwards—especially before bedtime.

Your braces' biggest enemies

Hard Foods:

• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Peanut brittle
• Ice cubes
• Hard candy
• Hard chips
• Candied apples
• Corn-on-the-cob (corn off the cob is better)

Sticky Foods:

• Fruit Roll-ups
• Gummy bears
• Taffy and caramels
• Starburst
• Bit-O-Honeys
• Skittles
• Milk Duds, etc.

Be Careful With These Foods:

• Freedent Gum (so it isn't sticky, not sugarless)
• Carrots—grate or cut into tiny pieces
• Apples—cut into wedges - don't bite from a whole apple
• Hard French bread—tear into small pieces

Other Orthodontic No-No's:

• Pushing your tongue against your teeth
• Chewing on pencils or pens
• Tearing things with your teeth
• Biting your fingernails