For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided. We book appointments 5-8 weeks in advance. Patients seen on a emergency appointment will only be assisted out of pain and braces will not be repaired, therefore one breakage due to chewing a piece of gum may set your treatment back 2 months! These additional months can soon add up if you continue to ignore the advice given to you by your orthodontist.

Examples of Sticky/Chewy Foods to Avoid:

Chewing/Bubble Gum    Licorice   Haribos   Starburst   Toffee      Mars Bars    Snickers     Caramels      Twix     Nougat       Fruitella     Fudge      

Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid:

Ice
Nuts
French bread crust/rolls
Corn on the cob
Apples and carrots (unless cut into small pieces)
Pizza crust

Minimize Sugary Foods like:

Cake
Ice Cream
Biscuits
Orange juice
Coke or any fizzy drinks

Only Once a Day:

Orange juice or a fizzy drink with a meal
Drinks with sugar. Sugar free squash, milk and water are all acceptable. No added sugar is not the same as sugar free.

It is important to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, call our office immediately to see if an appointment needs to be arranged for repair.