Choosing a slightly new approach to food can help your braces work the way they were designed to. Some foods may cause the brackets to pull away from the teeth and break. When the braces are damaged, it can delay your treatment process and may cause some discomfort. You can avoid this by being careful with the foods you choose and how you eat them. There are many ways you can maintain a healthy diet with braces.
So, How Do I Eat With Braces?
Different types of foods affect your braces in a certain way.

- Stringy foods: Foods like spaghetti could wind around your brace brackets. But cutting it up into smaller pieces can help you avoid this.
- Hard foods: Try to avoid popcorn, nuts and seeds. These can get stuck behind brace wires and brackets. You also want to avoid biting into harder foods, like apples or raw carrots, because these may break or pop off a bracket. Cutting them up into smaller pieces makes chewing easier. Softer foods are better for your braces, especially during the first few weeks of treatment.
- Sticky and gummy foods: Things like candy and chewing gum may stick to your brackets, and can be very hard to clean off, as well. It’s best to avoid these during treatment to ensure the best results.
- Chewy foods: Bagels, steak, and pizza crust can be a challenge to eat with braces. Opting for softer grains, like sliced lunch bread, tortilla shells, or biscuits, can help prevent issues during your treatment process. Tender meats like chicken, meatballs and turkey are often safer options, as well.
- Slow and Steady: Eating more slowly and cutting food up into smaller pieces can help you prevent damage to your braces.
Learning to eat with braces can be a bit more challenging, but you don’t have to eliminate all the foods you love. Making small changes to your diet now can lead to better results when your braces are removed, so you have a healthy smile you love.
This information is not meant as medical advice. It is provided solely for education. Our practice would be pleased to discuss your unique circumstances and needs as they relate to these topics.
Spark Orthodontics
Specializing In Invisalign, Clear Ceramic Braces, Metal Braces & Orthodontic Treatment In Schuylkill Haven, Temple, Bethlehem, Schnecksville, Lancaster, York, Hazleton, Danville & Freeland, PA
Award-winning Schuylkill Haven, PA Orthodontist, Dr. Jason Hartman of Spark Orthodontics offers the most advanced braces for children, teens and adults, including Invisalign, clear ceramic braces, metal braces and orthodontic treatment. Contact us today for a free braces consultation and exam at one of our orthodontic offices. With 9 convenient orthodontic offices located in Schuylkill Haven PA, Temple PA, Bethlehem PA and Schnecksville PA there is sure to be an office conveniently located near you. Call us today for a free consultation for braces at any of our 9 orthodontic offices in PA!
Contact Our Reading, PA Orthodontic Office: 610.735.0177
Contact Our Bethlehem, PA Orthodontic Office: 610.865.2777
Contact Our Schuylkill Haven, PA Orthodontic Office: 570.385.1344
Contact Our Schnecksville, PA Orthodontic Office: 610.735.0177
Contact Our Lancaster, PA Orthodontic Office: 717.295.9779
Contact Our York, PA Orthodontic Office: 717.848.4599
Contact Our Hazleton, PA Orthodontic Office: 570.455.5011
Contact Our Danville, PA Orthodontic Office: 570.275.6075
Contact Our Freeland, PA Orthodontic Office: 570.636.1101
Get The Smile You've Always Dreamed Of!
Spark Orthodontics can help you or your loved one achieve a smile that benefits dental health as much as it increases confidence. However, we want you to feel confident that your choice in an orthodontist in PA, is the right one. Follow the steps below and get that smile you have always dreamed of.
- Instantly Download his Report: Top 10 Things You Need to Know Before Choosing an Orthodontist in Pennsylvania.
- Please call 610.865.2777 to ask questions or set up your free Spark Smile Assessment!
- Contact one of our orthodontic offices in Reading, Camp Hill, Harrisburg, Bethlehem, Schnecksville, Schuylkill Haven, Lancaster, York, Danville, Hazleton or Freeland, PA, via our online form.