Each time a bracket is broken it can mean longer time in treatment.  Avoiding some foods or eating them differently can prevent broken appliances get you out of braces faster. Here are some things to think about to help your treatment go smoothly.

THE HARD CRUST OF PIZZA is the best part, and the place where bent wires start. Cut up the crust and eat with a fork.

HARD ROLLS, BAGELS, & PRETZELS knock off brackets and wires so leave them alone.

DORITOS, CHEETOS, FRITOS, HARD TACOS and all the rest will make your braces a mess.

POPCORN at movies is fun to eat, but avoid the “un-popped” as loose brackets are no treat.

BEEF JERKY & SLIM JIMS are fun to eat, but for wrecking your braces their hard to beat.

RIBS & MEAT on the BONE are destructive so leave them alone! Cut the meat off the bone to eat it.

CORN ON THE COB is a treat, but cut the corn off the cob before you eat.

RAW CARROTS, APPLES, and rabbits go together well, but the damage it causes is easy to tell. Cut those hard foods into small, thin bites instead of biting into the whole food.

SUCKERS AND JOLLY RANCHERS are always a sweet delight, but damage your braces with every bite.

CARAMEL CANDY, TAFFY, & Ju-Ju BEANS are known to be great, but broken braces just don’t rate.

NUTS are hard on braces so keep them away from your faces.

PENS & PENCILS are food for thought, but in your mouth they belong not.

ICE is nice in the summer heat, but with braces you must avoid this hard treat.

Remember the rule of food – HARD AND CRUNCHY or STICKY/CHEWY need to be avoided.

Eating these foods will break braces, causing delays in both treatment time and improvement of faces. So please help yourself by watching what you eat. Be creative and you can still have many of your favorite treats.  You can always refer back to your braces food list during your treatment.