How often have you popped a piece of gum in your mouth to freshen your breath or relieve your hunger until your next meal? Most of us have done it at some point. What happens if you pop in a piece of gum with braces? Can you chew gum with braces? 

You have lots of great options when it comes to foods to enjoy with braces. However, some foods can damage your braces. So, what can you eat with braces? What foods should you avoid with braces? Petrous Orthodontics is here to help you out! 

Can I Chew Gum With Braces?

“Can you have gum with braces?” It may be one of the most popular questions we get. In the old days, the answer was a flat “no.” Back then, your choices were usually a hard, sugary gum or a sugarless gum that was super sticky or made with aspartame, which can cause digestive issues. Yuck! 

Today, we have better options for sugarless gum. Look for gum made with Xylitol. It’s a sugar-free sweetener made with natural ingredients. Xylitol-based gums don’t skyrocket your chances of tooth decay like sugar gums. It also doesn’t get super hard unless you chew it for a really long time. 

Chewing gum with braces isn’t ideal, but you can chew a little Xylitol-based sugarless gum in moderation. Use it for a quick breath freshening or a quick hit to your hunger, but don’t chew gum for a prolonged period. 

What Else Can I Eat With Braces? 

Your choices of foods to eat with braces are vast! While there are some foods you can’t eat with braces, there are plenty of foods you CAN eat with braces. Here are some delicious choices!

• Fruits: Applesauce, diced fruit snacks, fruit juices, gelatin fruit snacks, bananas, seedless grapes, oranges and other citrus fruits
• Bread and grains: Soft-cooked rice or quinoa, soft bread, tortillas, muffins, soft pastries, cinnamon rolls
• Meats: deli meats, chicken, bologna, hot dogs, roasted turkey, crab, lobster, shrimp
• Dairy: Shredded or grated cheeses, soft cheeses, butter, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, protein smoothies and milk drinks
• Desserts*: Milkshakes, ice cream, soft cookies, cake, cheesecake, pudding, pies without nuts, cookie cakes, marshmallows
• Candies*: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, plain M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, chocolate bars, Hershey’s Kisses, 3 Musketeers, peppermint patties

Why an asterisk by the last two? Because, as always, you can eat those foods but should eat them in moderation to maintain a healthy diet. The sugar in desserts and candies can also lead to tooth decay. The last thing you want during braces treatment is cavities! 

Foods to Eat Cautiously With Braces

Some foods pose a bit of a challenge when eating them with braces. They could damage your braces in one form but be fine in another. In other cases, it may be a certain type of food, like sugarless gum vs. sugared gum.  

These foods should be eaten with a bit of preparation — and a little caution. 

• Beef and pork: Cut it into small bites. Pull rib meat from the bone to eat it. Never gnaw on a bone with braces!
• Vegetables: Remove corn from the cob before eating it, or just eat loose corn. Cook hard vegetables, such as carrots and broccoli, until tender. 
• Pizza: Eat the soft crust only (usually “pan” or thick crust) under the toppings. Ditch the “pizza bones” on the back. Better still, avoid the crust altogether and go for a pizza bowl instead. 
• Nachos: Nacho chips may be too hard for your braces. Try a taco salad instead (don’t eat the bowl!), or have your nachos on fries instead of tortilla chips. It’s not the healthiest option, but it’s easier on your braces!
• Fruits: Cut front-bite fruits (apples, pears, peaches, etc.) into thin slices or bite-size. Better still, try baking them until they’re soft and delicious. Careful eating strawberries — don’t let the outside seeds get stuck in your braces!
• Desserts: Yes to ice cream, no to the hard ice cream cone. Don’t eat hard frozen treats like popsicles. An ice cream sandwich should be just fine, though! 

Foods to Avoid With Braces 

With so many great options to enjoy, you probably won’t even miss the foods to avoid with braces. If you do, just remember this — it’s only temporary! Once your braces are off, you can go back to enjoying these foods. 

That is if you want to go back to them. Many of these foods are considered “junk foods.” You may find the healthier options are tastier and better for you in the long run. You may not even want these afterward. Well, OK, maybe a little popcorn at the movies. Who doesn’t love movie popcorn? 

These are foods you can’t eat with braces. 

• Chewy foods: Bagels, baguettes, beef and other jerky, hand-tossed pizza crust
• Hard foods: Nuts, raw grains, sunflower and other seeds, candy-coated seeds, ice, hard breadsticks, hard crackers, thin pizza crust, hard cheeses (not shredded or grated)
• Crunchy foods: Tortilla chips, hard taco shells, popcorn, Parmesan crackers, regular crackers
• Sticky foods: Granola bars, protein bars, cereal bars, candied or caramel apples
• Candies: Tootsie rolls, taffy, caramel, Peanut or Pretzel M&Ms, candy bars with nuts, hard candy bars (Butterfinger), chewy candy bars (100 Grand, Whatchamacallit), hard candies, gummy candies, licorice
• Drinks: Coffee, tea, sodas, fruit drinks, and other dark-colored drinks can stain your teeth around your braces brackets. Stick to plain water or colorless drinks.

Braces Treatment in Royal Oak, MI

We know you’ve heard of those “food restrictions” with braces, but as you can see, braces aren’t as restrictive as they may seem! You can still enjoy most of your favorite foods with braces. Just be sure to brush and floss your teeth daily after you eat.

What happens if you eat the wrong thing and end up with a broken wire or a loose bracket? First, don’t panic. Petrous Orthodontics is here for you! If you’re our patient, just schedule an appointment with us if you have a braces emergency in Royal Oak, MI. We can take care of you!