If you recently got braces to straighten crooked and misaligned teeth, you can look forward to a healthier, more beautiful smile. You will need to make a few changes to your dental care routine to not only keep the wires and brackets intact but to also avoid tooth decay. Part of any comprehensive braces care plan is knowing what you can and cannot eat. And, while many foods — such as eggs, soup, soft fruits, cooked vegetables, and bread — are safe, others must be avoided.

4 Food Types to Stay Away From While You Have Braces

1. Crunchy Foods

Eliminate crunchy foods such as popcorn, certain cereals, and potato chips from your diet while you have braces to prevent wire and bracket damage. Dislodged wires can also irritate soft mouth tissue. Abstain from crunchy vegetables such as celery as well — unless they are thoroughly cooked down.

2. Sticky Foods

Refrain from consuming sticky foods that will attach themselves to your braces and make brushing and flossing difficult. Additionally, candies such as caramel, licorice, gummies, toffee, and sugary chewing gum promote tooth decay if they are left on teeth and braces long enough. Avoid dried fruit for the same reasons.

3. Tough Meats

Curb your jerky habit since tough meat and all other chewy foods can loosen braces and wires. Undercooked steak, pork, and other meat can also create problems, so stick to tenderized pieces of lean protein such as chicken and fish instead. Many soup and stew recipes include tender meat chunks to prevent braces damage.

4. Hard Foods

Don’t bite into any hard food such as raw vegetables, most nuts, hard taco shells, crisp fruits, candy, pretzels, and hard bread. These foods easily damage wires and brackets — or even break them. This is both expensive and painful for you.

Maintain your braces with help from Nicholas J. Hurley D.D.S., P.A. and his amazing team. The general, cosmetic, and emergency dentist provides patients throughout Thomasville, NC, and the surrounding areas with a full suite of dental care services while maintaining memberships with the American Orthodontic Society™ and American Dental Association®. Call (336) 476-1109 today to schedule a dental care appointment, or request one online. Get additional oral health tips on Facebook.