Pink Page

Foods that cannot be cleared off the braces may lead to tooth decay and/or discoloration.  Even though the braces and wires are metal, they are fragile and are usually damaged by eating the wrong foods, thus increasing the time of your treatment. Each broken brace slows treatment by an average of 4 to 4 weeks!!

Foods to Avoid:

  • "Stickies"

    Anything that’s gummy, licorice-like, or requires you to “tear” at it to chew it – INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: Dots, Crows, Jujy Fruits, Zours, Mikes and Ikes, Swedish or Gummy Fish, Gummi Bears, Sour Patch Kids, Sour Patch Straws, Oompas, Runts, Trollii Nite Crawlers, Nerds, Airheads, Candy Corn, Jelly Beans, Tootsie Rolls, Skittles, Starburst, Now&Laters, Twizzler’s (Twist, Bites, or Nibs), Gum Drops, Spice Drops, any Licorice, Good ‘n Plenty, Good ‘n Fruity, Starburst or Life Saver Fruit Chews, etc. Also, no Beef Jerky (or Slim Jims)!

  • Gum

    ALL GUM, NO EXCEPTIONS!!

  • Caramel-Containing

    If it has ANY caramel in it, don’t eat it! INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: Zeros, Werther’s, Twix, Turtles, Toffifay, Snickers, Riesen, Pay Day, Pecan Delights, O’Henry, 100Grans, Milky Way, Milk Duds, Caramello, Rollos, Whatchamacallit, etc.

  • Too Crunchy

    Almost a guaranteed broken bracket!! INCLUDES: Jolly Ranchers – ANY Type (lollipops, hard candies, jellies, gummies) Skittles, Peanut Brittle, Red Hots, Rock Candy, Peanut M&M’s, Poppycock, Super Blow Pops, Tootsie Pops, Ring Pop, Push Pop, Warheads, Butterfinger, Sweet Tarts, lollipops of any kind, SEEDS (Pumpkin, Sunflower)

  • No Popcorn

    No popcorn or nuts or candy with nuts.

  • Good for You - Bad for Braces

    Granola, day old bagels, pizza crust, hard pretzels, meat on the bone, corn on the cob, whole raw vegetables (you can still have your veggies but please cut these into small bite size pieces), whole apples (cut into quarters)

Preventing Cavities:

  • Minimize Sugar Intake

    Soda, candy, sugary desserts, fruit juices

  • Brush 4 Times Per Day For 3 Minutes Each Time

    Morning, after school, after snacking and before bed

  • Floss

    Insert the floss behind the archwire. Gently clean sides of teeth and under gums with an up and down motion. Floss at least one time per day. 40% of plaque is between the teeth.

  • Use a Fluoride Mouth Rinse

    Rinse thoroughly with a fluoride mouth rinse after brushing.

Please print out “The Pink Page” and place it where you will see it every day.

Click for a printable version of “The Pink Page”