9 Foods You Can't Eat With Braces

Braces are designed with brackets attached to your teeth to allow the metal wires to work together and slowly align your teeth into a straighter, more even smile. And while braces are glued onto your teeth and worn 24/7), it does mean that you need to adjust your routine to ensure the results at the end of orthodontic treatment are as expected. That means brushing more carefully, attending adjustment appointments, and avoiding certain foods that can damage the brackets or cause issues with tooth decay.

Below is a list of foods to avoid when you have braces- to prevent damaging the brackets and wires. Generally, the rules are that you should avoid anything too hard, sticky, or sugary.

Foods to Avoid When You Have Braces

1. Red meat/meat on the bone

Steak and chicken can be difficult to chew and are likely to get stuck around brackets. The fibrous texture of meat can make it tricky to manage with braces - chewing tough meat can also put pressure on your brackets, increasing the risk of breakage.

If you’d still like to eat meat, choose small, boneless portions that are soft or minced: just be prepared to spend time cleaning it out of your teeth later!

2. Fibrous vegetables

Leafy or stringy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and broccoli tend to get caught around brackets and wires. The fibrous nature of stringy vegetables makes them hard to rinse out and can leave you picking at your teeth long after your meal.

3. Chewing gum and lollies

Sticky sweets like chewing gum, toffee, or gummies wrap around wires and cling to brackets. They’re difficult to remove from braces, and the high sugar content can increase the risk of tooth decay in hard-to-clean areas.

4. Popcorn and corn on the cob

Popcorn kernels often get wedged in tight spaces between your teeth and braces, especially under wires - and they’re not easy to remove! Picking at corn kernels can irritate the gums.

Corn on the cob is another one to avoid. Biting directly into corn can damage brackets, and corn skins tend to get stuck between braces and gums.

5. Foods that stain

Ceramic braces are teeth-coloured options that provide a more natural appearance - while ceramic braces are resistant to staining, the transparent elastics that are worn with them can become discoloured when eating staining foods like curry, turmeric, coffee, and red wine. While the issue is only cosmetic, it’s still better to steer clear of staining foods to avoid having discoloured elastics.

6. Fruits

An apple a day won’t keep your orthodontist away. Fruits like apples and pears are too firm to bite into directly with braces; doing so can damage wires. Other fruits like oranges or pineapples, are easier to manage but also have pulp that gets caught in your braces and can be tricky to clean out properly. When eating fruits, slice them into thin pieces so make them easier to chew without the risk of damage to your braces.

7. Nuts and biscuits

Hard foods like nuts, granola bars, and some biscuits can snap wires or break brackets. Crumbly biscuits are safer, but can also turn into a paste that sticks around brackets and is difficult to brush away - so make sure you’re cleaning thoroughly! Instead of munching on whole nuts, try nut butters as a safer alternative.

8. Chips

Potato chips and corn chips break into sharp fragments that can poke your gums or lodge between brackets. Even small pieces can get trapped in tight spaces, leading to discomfort or plaque buildup if not removed properly. If you’re not prepared to clean your teeth after eating chips, best to avoid altogether.

9. Sugary and carbonated drinks

Drinks that are high in sugar and acids, such as soft drinks, fruit juice, and flavoured milk can cause damage to teeth with braces. Sugar coming into contact with teeth (especially the area around the brackets), can cause white spot lesions to develop. The white spots are an early sign of tooth decay and damaged enamel, leaving a permanent mark on teeth even after braces are removed. Avoid drinking sugary drinks - even natural fruit juices like orange juice contain enough natural sugars and acids to cause tooth damage.

Braces are designed to apply gentle pressure to gradually align your teeth, fill gaps, and create a natural smile. Your orthodontist will provide you with a list of foods to avoid, as well as instructions on how to care for your braces to prevent issues like plaque build-up and tooth decay. Keep in mind that the appearance of your smile once the braces are removed will largely depend on how well you’ve taken care of your teeth during the treatment.