Common Holiday Foods to Avoid if You Have Braces

As you’re no doubt aware if you or your child wear traditional braces, there are some foods that can easily damage them or get stuck behind the brackets and in the wires. Now that the Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa season is upon us, we wanted to provide a quick reminder about some common holiday foods to avoid if you have braces.

Remember to exercise extra caution, as you may not be able to get an immediate appointment with your orthodontist during a holiday. Just in case, here’s a guide to troubleshooting common problems with braces at home; there are some remedies in there that can tide you over until you can get into the office.

But again, just keep in mind these holiday foods to avoid if you have braces. It will go a long way toward preventing a braces-related holiday inconvenience.

Skip These Holiday Foods if You Wear Braces

• Poultry legs and wings, and other cuts of meat on the bone

• Tough, chewy cuts of meat

• Raw carrots and other hard, crunchy vegetables (stick with cooked veggies)

• Corn on the cob (corn is fine, just have it off the cob)

• Popcorn

• Pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and other types of nuts

• Peanuts (no, peanuts aren’t nuts, they’re legumes; that’s why they got their own bullet point)

• Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and other seeds

• Caramel apples, candy bars with caramel, and other foods with caramel

• Candy canes and other hard or sticky candy

• Watch out when eating casseroles, desserts, and other holiday dishes that might contain something hard, sticky, or otherwise potentially damaging to your braces