5 Foods That Can Damage Your Braces

Posted on December 11, 2023

While teen orthodontics remains a big deal for most young people growing up, it’s important to remember that adults wear braces, too. According to Humana, more than 4 million adults are wearing braces. No matter your age, it’s important to avoid the following foods to keep your braces strong and healthy.

1. Raw Vegetables

Raw carrots, celery, and veggies are a great healthy snack. For braces, they’re a nightmare and can cause severe cracking if you aren’t careful. As a result, it’s best to cook them if you plan on eating them to ensure that your braces stay strong and don’t get damaged.

2. Crunchy Snacks

It’s tempting to snack on potato chips and nuts because they’re a tasty treat. However, potato chips leave a gummy material on braces and nuts can easily damage them. Popcorn isn’t any better; it would be best if you found alternative treats to enjoy.

3. Peanut Butter

Creamy peanut butter is technically okay to eat with braces but can cause a build-up on them, which makes it better to avoid. Most teen orthodontics specialists suggest against it. Furthermore, crunchy peanut butter is best to avoid because of its hard surface and rougher texture.

4. Hard Candies

Do you like caramel candies, suckers, and other hard candy? Well, you’re going to have to put them away for a while. Even if you don’t chew on them, they can stick to your braces and cause real problems. It’s best to store them or throw them away before trying them out.

5. Other Foods

There are many other foods you need to avoid if you have braces. Hard crackers, cookies, fibrous vegetables, bagels, raw fruit, pretzels, meat on the bone, corn on the cob, marshmallows, hard taco shells, fudge, beef jerky, and even pizza are out. That may not be ideal, but staying away from these foods is critical for your oral health.

You may need to contact a teen orthodontics office if your braces have become damaged due to ingesting any of these foods. Reach out to us today, and we’ll help you better understand what to do. With our help, you can keep your or your child’s braces strong and healthy. We look forward to helping you with all your orthodontic needs!