Eating with Braces

Smileworks Orthodontics in Manassas, VA – Your Guide to Eating with Braces

Taking care of your braces can shorten your treatment time. There are several foods that may damage your braces, necessitating repair or replacement. However, there are still many types of food that you can enjoy while wearing braces. See our list below for general guidelines.

Foods to Avoid

• Chewy foods like bagels and licorice
• Crunchy foods like popcorn, potato chips, and crunching ice in your teeth (snow cones)
• Sticky foods – caramel, chewing gum (whether with sugar or sugarless), toffee
• Hard foods – nuts and hard candy
• Foods that require biting like corn on the cob, raw celery, carrots, and apples

Feel Free to Enjoy

• Dairy including milk and soft cheeses
• Soft bread
• Soft grains like cooked pasta and rice
• Soft meats, poultry, and fish including shellfish with the shell removed
• Soft fruits
• Treats such as ice cream without nuts, milkshakes, pudding, gelatin, soft cakes and pies

Remember to always wear your rubber bands, elastics, retainers, and other required appliances consistently so that you avoid prolonging your orthodontic correction time. If you have any questions, you can always contact us at (703) 383-0090.