Ask Dr. Just: Now that I have braces, which foods should I avoid?

You just got braces and Dr. Just has informed you that over the next several months you will want to avoid eating anything sticky, hard, crunchy, or chewy. But, which foods, exactly, should you avoid?

Below are types of food that must you must avoid while undergoing orthodontic treatment at Just Orthodontics. Other foods should be eaten carefully while in braces. Eating foods that are not compatible with braces can damage or dislodge the braces and lead to a longer treatment time than was originally estimated.

Hard foods, which are known dislodge braces include:
Hard candy
Jaw breakers
Lollipops, Jolly ranchers, etc.
Ice cubes
Nuts and pretzels
Apples, carrots, etc.

Chewy/sticky foods you should steer clear of include:

Sticky Candy, including Starbursts and gummi bears
Tootsie Rolls
Taffy
Beef jerky
Bagels
Snickers
Chewing gum

Lastly, you should avoid foods and drinks high in sugar content. These include:

Soda Pop
Coffee with cream
Fruit juice
Doughnuts
Iced Tea
Chocolate
Cereal
Cookies

We hope this helps! Let us know if you have any more questions here on our blog or on our Facebook page!