Foods to Avoid For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided. Examples of Sticky Foods to Avoid: Gum (sugar-free or regular) Licorice Sugar Daddies Toffee Tootsie Rolls Caramels Starburst Gummy Treats Fruit Roll-ups Examples of Hard Foods to Avoid: Ice Nuts Hard taco shells Bagels French bread crust/rolls Corn on the cob Apples Chips Jolly Ranchers Pizza crust Uncooked carrots (unless sliced very thin or shredded) Minimize Sugary Foods like: Cake Ice Cream Cookies Pie Candy Only Once a Day: Soda Sweetened tea Gatorade Kool-Aid Drinks with sugar It’s important to regularly check your braces for bent or loose wires and brackets. In the event of a loose/broken wire or bracket, call our office immediately to arrange an appointment for repair. Your First Few Days in Braces At Dr. Sanford's office, we use state-of-the art materials to provide gentle, yet effective treatment. Most patients experience a minimal amount of discomfort, which is easily remedied by bite wafer exercises and, if necessary, acetaminophen. Avoid using any anti-inflammatory pain relievers such as ibuprofen as this could inhibit the ability of tooth movement, which is what braces are about! If you are feeling uncomfortable and would like additional suggestions, please refer to our First Aid page. Retention When we remove your braces, we will begin the retention stage of your treatment. The retention phase lasts for the rest of your life, with checkup visits to our office for the first 12 months. Holding your final orthodontic result depends on a commitment to regular retainer wear, so follow through with the work you've put in so far. Remember to remove your retainer before brushing, and brush your retainer carefully while cradled in your hand before placing it back in your mouth. Soaking retainers at least twice a week in retainer/denture cleaner will disinfect them as well as refresh them.