With braces you can eat most soft and tender foods, such as pasta, eggs, yogurt, cooked vegetables, soft fruit, fish and tender meats. Avoid anything hard, sticky or chewy, like nuts, popcorn, hard candy, caramel and gum, because it can break brackets or bend wires.
Food is one of the first things patients ask about when braces go on at Hansen Orthodontics. The good news is that the list of foods you can still enjoy is much longer than the list you have to skip. This guide covers safe choices for every meal, foods that need a little modification, and what to do if something breaks.
What foods can you eat with braces?
A simple rule works for most meals: if you can cut it with the side of a fork, it is probably fine. Here are braces-friendly options by meal.
Breakfast
- Scrambled or boiled eggs
- Oatmeal or soft cereal soaked in milk
- Yogurt and smoothies
- Pancakes, waffles and soft muffins
- Bananas and berries
Lunch and dinner
- Pasta, rice and noodles
- Soft sandwiches on non-crusty bread
- Soups and stews
- Fish, meatloaf, shredded chicken and tender cuts of meat
- Steamed or roasted vegetables cooked until tender
- Mashed potatoes, beans and soft tortillas
Snacks and desserts
- Cheese and soft crackers
- Applesauce and seedless grapes
- Pudding, ice cream and soft cake (in moderation)
- Hummus with soft pita
- Smoothies
What foods should you avoid with braces?
Foods cause trouble with braces in three ways: they are hard enough to pop a bracket off, sticky enough to pull on wires and trap sugar, or chewy enough to bend an archwire. The table below groups the common offenders.
| Type of food | Examples | Why it is a problem | Braces-friendly swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard | Nuts, hard candy, ice, hard pretzels, corn nuts | Can snap brackets off the tooth | Soft pretzels, nut butters |
| Sticky | Caramel, taffy, gummy candy, gum | Pulls on brackets and traps sugar | Chocolate that melts easily, pudding |
| Chewy | Bagels, jerky, tough steak, crusty bread | Can bend wires and loosen bands | Soft bread, shredded or ground meat |
| Bite-into | Whole apples, corn on the cob, raw carrots | Front teeth take the force directly | Slice it thin or cut it off the cob |
| Small and hard | Popcorn, seeds, fruit with pits | Kernels and pits wedge under wires | Soft snacks, pitted and sliced fruit |
Can you eat these common foods with braces?
Some foods live in a gray area. Most of them are fine with a change in how you eat them.
Apples, carrots and other crunchy produce
Yes, if you cut them into thin slices or small pieces and chew with your back teeth. Biting straight into a whole apple is what causes trouble. Steaming carrots and broccoli until tender also makes them easy on brackets.
Cherries and other fruit with pits
Yes, but pit them first. Biting down on a pit can crack a bracket, and small pieces can get stuck around the wire. Pitted cherries, peaches and plums are perfectly braces-friendly.
Pizza and burgers
Usually yes. Skip or tear off the hard outer crust on pizza, cut burgers into smaller pieces, and chew with your side teeth rather than tearing with your front teeth.
Chips and popcorn
Popcorn is best avoided because hulls lodge under the gums and around brackets. Soft, thin chips eaten one at a time are less risky than thick, hard ones, but it is easy to overdo them, so many families save chips for after treatment.
What should you eat in the first week with braces?
Teeth are often tender for the first few days after braces go on and after some adjustments. During that stretch, lean on the softest foods on the list: smoothies, yogurt, soup, mashed potatoes, eggs, pasta and cold treats. Cold foods can feel soothing on sore teeth. Once the tenderness fades, you can work back to a normal braces-friendly diet.
If you have a placement appointment coming up, our guide to getting braces explains the different bracket types and how to care for them.
A braces-friendly shopping list
Stocking the kitchen before placement day saves a lot of guesswork. Useful staples include yogurt, eggs, oatmeal, bananas, soft bread, pasta, rice, soup, canned or cooked beans, ground meat or rotisserie chicken, soft cheese, applesauce and frozen fruit for smoothies. Having these on hand means nobody has to decide what is safe while their teeth are sore.
Why do some foods damage braces?
Brackets are bonded strongly enough to move teeth steadily, but the bond is designed to come off cleanly when treatment ends, so a sudden hard bite can pop one loose. Wires are shaped precisely, and chewing something tough can bend them, which changes the direction the teeth are pushed. Sticky foods add a third problem: they cling around brackets where a toothbrush has a harder time reaching, keeping sugar against the enamel for longer.
A broken bracket or bent wire is fixable, but each repair means an extra visit, and repeated breakages can slow your progress. Choosing foods carefully is one of the simplest ways to help treatment stay on schedule.
Does eating change when you wear rubber bands?
Many braces patients wear small elastics at some point to help line up the bite. Unless you are told otherwise, elastics usually come out for meals and go right back in after you brush. Carry spares, because they lose strength and are easy to misplace. Wearing them as directed is just as important as what you eat.
How do you keep teeth clean after eating with braces?
Food packs around brackets quickly, and plaque left there can cause white spots and cavities. After meals, rinse with water, brush around each bracket from above and below, and floss once a day with a threader or floss pick. Our guide to flossing with braces walks through the technique.
Sugary and acidic drinks such as soda and sports drinks bathe the teeth in acid, which is harder to clear with brackets in the way. Water is the best everyday choice. If you do have a sweet drink, rinse afterward.
What should you do if you break a bracket while eating?
A loose bracket usually is not an emergency, but it should be fixed so treatment stays on track. Save the bracket if it comes off completely, cover any sharp edge with orthodontic wax, and call the office to let us know. Our emergency orthodontic care page lists quick fixes for common problems until you can be seen.
Is eating different with clear aligners?
Yes. Clear aligners come out for meals, so there is no food list to follow while you eat. The tradeoff is discipline: aligners need to go back in soon after eating, and teeth should be brushed first so food is not trapped against them. Learn more on our Invisalign page.
Tips for kids and teens with braces
- Pack a braces-friendly school lunch: pasta salad, soft wraps, sliced fruit and cheese.
- Keep a travel toothbrush and wax in a backpack.
- Plan ahead for holidays; our post on Halloween candy and braces lists the treats to skip.
- Wear a mouthguard for sports to protect both the braces and your cheeks.
Parents looking for more on treatment for younger patients can visit our braces for teens page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you chew gum with braces?
It is best to avoid regular gum. It sticks to brackets and wires and can bend them.
Can you eat chocolate with braces?
Soft chocolate that melts easily is generally fine in moderation. Avoid chocolate with nuts, caramel or toffee inside.
How long do food restrictions last?
For as long as the braces are on. Once treatment ends and you move into retainers, you can return to your regular diet.
Can you drink coffee with braces?
Yes, but coffee and tea can stain the elastic ties and, with ceramic braces, may cause discoloration. Rinse with water afterward.
Questions about life with braces?
Our team is happy to help with food questions or anything else about treatment. Call or text (316) 722-6717, or request a free consultation at our Wichita, Goddard or Hutchinson office.