Food No-No List

A careful orthodontic patient can probably eat almost any food and do no damage to his/her appliances. However, these three types of food may cause trouble:
1. Hard foods 2. Sticky foods 3. Foods high in sugar

HARD FOODS
These foods can do damage by bending wires, breaking braces, and loosening
cement that attaches the appliances to your teeth.

Avoid all of the following hard foods:
Hard bread, bones, ice, jaw breakers, jolly ranchers and other hard candy.

Take special care when eating these foods:
Corn on the cob – should be cut off the cob.
Carrots (raw) – cut into "carrot curls" that are thinner and chew on back teeth.
Celery – chew on back teeth.
Apples – Cut into wedges and chew on back teeth.
Popcorn – Avoid hard kernels. Remove any outside husks that may get trapped between teeth and gums. Be sure to floss, as trapped husks can cause serious swelling and infection.

STICKY FOODS
These foods may damage appliances by bending wires and pulling cement loose.

Avoid the following sticky foods:
Caramels, Sugar Daddy's, Starburst, Taffy, Gummy Anything. If you must chew gum, use Sugar Free only!

FOODS HIGH IN SUGAR
Limit the amount of sugary foods you eat. Sugar can increase the plaque that forms on your teeth, causing cavities and permanent white marks. Many foods, like breakfast cereals, have hidden sugars. These foods should be avoided whenever possible. If you do choose to eat sugary foods, please brush immediately after.
Avoid between meal snacking. The worst thing you can do is have sodas or snack crackers and chips between meals!!!

A FEW OTHER THINGS TO AVOID…
Soft Drinks (click here to see full Soda Pop section)
In addition to containing a lot of sugar, soft drinks also contain a substance called carbonic acid. Carbonic acid can cause permanent damage to the enamel on your teeth. If you decide to drink soft drinks, we recommend that you brush thoroughly to decrease the possible damage. If you are undable to brush, please rinse your mouth with water to minimize potential problems.

Dental Decay
For decay to occur, three factors must be present at the same time: the tooth, bacteria and carbohydrates (sugars and starches). Bacteria are normally present in the mouth. The bacteria eat carbohydrates found in food and produce acid. The acid dissolves the enamel of the tooth.
When carbohydrates and bacteria are present in the mouth, acid can be produced to destroy teeth. When carbohydrates or bacteria are absent from the mouth, acid is not produces and other factors can "heal" teeth. A cavity is formed when the destruction of the enamel is greater than the healing of enamel. Flouride, found in water, toothpaste and food, helps to heal teeth and prevent cavities.

Dental Erosion
Dental erosion refers to the loss of hard tissue from the enamel of the tooth surface. Erosion is caused by the exposure of the tooth to an acidic food or liquid. When an acidic liquid repeatedly washes over the tooth, it gradually dissolves the hard tissue and removes the enamel layer. The acidity of beverages can be measured and reported in pH units: a pH below 7 is considered acidic. A lower pH value indicates a higher acid content. For example, tomato juice has a pH of 4.1 and lemon juice has a pH of 2.3; thus, lemon jusice is more acidic than tomato juice.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, including sugars and starches, provide energy to the body. They are found naturally in fruit, vegetable, grain and dairy products. Sugars are also added to foods and beverages. Carbohydrates are essential to health. It is recommended that 55% of the total enery in the diet come from carbohydrates, but 10% or less of the energy should come from sugar added to foods. Oral bacteria can digest both sugars and starches to produce acid. Actual production of acid depends on the amount of carbohydrate and the length of time carbohydrates are present in the mouth.

Eating Habits
Eating habits also influence the risk of dental decay. The number of times we eat carbohydrates during the day determines the number of opportunities for bacteria to produce acid. The length of time we spend eating each food or drinking each beverage also influences the amount of time bacteria may produce acid. Thus, a limited number (4-6) of short (20-30 minutes) eating or drinking episodes will decrease the risk of decay.