Foods You Can and Can’t Eat with Braces

While you are wearing braces, there are certain types of food that need to be avoided. This is necessary not only for the health of your teeth, but also for your comfort, and to ensure the braces are able to work properly. That said, you may be surprised at the many various types of food that you can eat with braces—as long as the food is prepared correctly.

For instance: trying to bite down on whole hard fruits, such as apples, is never a good idea. However, if you cut hard fruits into small, thin pieces, they can be safer for your braces. This goes for a lot of hard vegetables, as well. Crunchy options such as carrots can be baked or steamed into a delectable soft food. The key is getting your desired food items into a soft or tender state that doesn’t require a lot of chewing. Mashed potatoes, yogurt, chicken, fish, salads, and even sandwiches are just some of the options that can be eaten while wearing braces—just be sure to exclude ingredients that may harm your braces and wires, or increase the chances of developing tooth decay around the brackets.

Which brings us to some of the food items that should be completely excised from your diet while wearing braces. These include:

• Nuts

• Candies such as caramel, gummies, taffy, chewing gum, and gooey chocolate

• Hard cookies or hard candy

• Popcorn

• Beef jerky

• Food and beverage items that are high in sugar and/or acid

• Hard pretzels

• Tortilla chips

• Corn on the cob

• Croutons

That list may cause some disappointment, but there are many delicious foods that can still be enjoyed while you wear braces, as long as you take some precautions. If you would like more information, please contact Cuozzo Orthodontic Specialists today.