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Do I Have to Be Extra Careful When I Have Braces?

Although there are many factors that determine how long you have to wear braces (case difficulty, rate of tooth movement through bone, adequate nutrition, etc.) the most frequent complication that prolongs orthodontic treatment is loose or broken brackets and wires. Most patients progress throughout treatment without any broken appliances. Unfortunately a loose bracket or broken wire that goes unnoticed can delay treatment for 3-6 months. Inspecting your braces after every meal and notifying your orthodontic staff of any broken appliances immediately will keep you on time to finish your treatment. Hard, crunchy, crusty, or sticky foods are most frequently responsible for breaking appliances, however, improper brushing technique or oral habits like biting on pens, pencils, sewing needles, etc can do almost as much damage.

Loose Orthodontic Brackets Prolong Treatment Time

Foods to Avoid While You Have Braces

In addition to the following list of no-no foods, please be aware that you must eat foods differently when you have braces. Instead of biting into sandwiches, apples, carrots, or pizza with your front teeth you must force yourself to cut or tear your food apart and place it onto your back teeth for chewing. The following list is not all-inclusive, so if you’re not sure whether or not you should eat a particular food please use a little common sense and avoid it.

Beverages to Avoid While You Have Braces

High sugar or acidic drinks can cause cavities anytime, especially when they have braces to stick onto. Avoid all soda pop (Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Big Red, etc), juices (Hi-C, Sunny-D, Kool-Aid, etc), and teas to prevent permanent scarring of your enamel.