New braces can make mealtime feel complicated for a week or two. The good news: you can still eat almost everything you love with a few smart adjustments.
Our top tips
- Cut it up. Slice apples, corn and carrots off the cob or into small pieces instead of biting into them.
- Go soft the first week. Pasta, eggs, smoothies, yogurt and soups are your best friends while teeth adjust.
- Skip the sticky stuff. Caramel, taffy and gummy candy can bend wires and pull off brackets.
- Avoid the crunch. Hard pretzels, ice and popcorn kernels are the most common causes of broken brackets.
- Don’t chew on things. Pens, nails and straws put pressure on brackets too.
- Rinse and brush after meals. Food trapped around brackets can cause white spots on enamel.
- Carry a kit. A travel toothbrush, floss threaders and orthodontic wax make life on the go much easier.
Think “cut, chew gently and clean” and you’ll rarely have a problem.
What if a bracket breaks?
Don’t panic — it’s rarely an emergency. Cover any poking edge with wax and send a photo through the Orthivaro Anywhere app. Your care team will tell you whether it can wait until your next visit.
