Eating Habits
HARD AND STICKY FOODS may do damage by bending wires, loosening the cement under the bands or breaking the little brackets and tubes that are attached to the bands. Keep in mind there is a charge for excessive repairs, so be careful! Below are just some of the foods to avoid or that should be eaten very carefully.
| Carrot Sticks | Cut into carrot "curls" which are thin and won't do damage |
| Apples | But into bite sized pieces. |
| French Bread | Small pieces and be careful. |
| Popcorn & seeds | Use care - avoid hard kernels. Remove any outside husks that may get trapped between teeth and gums as they can cause serious swelling and infection. Do not use teeth to remove shells from sunflower seeds. |
| Hard foods | NO chewing ice. Also avoid corn nuts, as well as any other kind of nuts. |
| Sticky foods | NO taffy, caramels, Mild Duds, Starburst, Now & Laters, Skittles, Big Hunk, Abba-Zabba, Snickers, fruit roll-ups, or any other sticky foods. |
| Gum | NO GUM!! Even if it's sugarless. |
| Carbonated Drinks | NO Soda, diet or regular. The carbonation has a tendency to bubble away the cement which may cause the braces to loosed and then break. |
| Sugary Foods | Avoid as much as possible. Brush your teeth immediately after sweets. |
| Pens or Pencils | Do not chew on these or other hard objects. |
| Baking soda toothpaste | Do not use. It will dissolve the cement used on your braces. |