What can you eat with braces the first week?
Soft foods that need little chewing. Your teeth will probably feel sore for the first few days after braces go on, and again after each adjustment. The ADA says the first few days are the worst. It suggests soft foods like scrambled eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, pasta, mashed potatoes and smoothies until the soreness passes. The British Orthodontic Society (BOS) says the tenderness may last a few days.
One NHS clinic suggests soft foods cut into small pieces at first, then adding other foods back after a few days (North Cumbria). For soft menu ideas, try the Soft Food Meal Planner.
Why hard, sticky and chewy foods are a problem
They can break brackets and bend wires, and a broken brace slows your treatment down. The ADA says sticky, chewy or hard foods can easily break braces. The AAO explains why that matters: broken braces can't put the right forces on your teeth, which could make treatment take longer. NHS clinics and the BOS say the same.
The foods named most often fall into four groups:
- Hard: nuts, hard candy, ice, hard pretzels and popcorn (AAO, ADA).
- Sticky: caramels, taffy, toffee, gummy candy and gum (AAO, ADA, BOS).
- Chewy: licorice, bagels and tough cuts of meat (AAO, ADA).
- Foods you bite into: whole apples, corn on the cob, crusty rolls and ribs (ADA, AAO, NHS Dorset).
If a bracket or wire comes loose, contact your orthodontist. One clinic wants to hear right away (North Cumbria); another says most repairs can wait a few days unless the brace hurts (Dorset).
How to eat tricky favorites
Most favorites are still fine once you cut them up and chew with your back teeth (BOS, NHS Dorset).
| Favorite | How to eat it with braces | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Apples and pears | Slice them; don't bite into them | AAO, ADA |
| Corn on the cob | Cut the corn off the cob | AAO, ADA |
| Ribs and chicken wings | Cut the meat off the bone | ADA, BOS |
| Pizza | Pick a soft crust, cut it into bite-size pieces and leave the hard edge | AAO |
| Sandwiches and burgers | Cut them into bite-size pieces | AAO, BOS |
| Raw carrots and celery | Chop them small, or cook them soft | ADA, BOS, AAO |
| Steak | Cut it into bite-size pieces | AAO |
| Candy | Choose chocolate without caramel or nuts, peanut butter cups, marshmallows or soft cookies | AAO |
The AAO adds that you should brush and floss soon after eating candy.
Sugary drinks, snacks and white spots
Sugar and acid around brackets can leave permanent white marks on your teeth. The AAO warns that plaque left around brackets can lead to cavities, swollen gums and permanent white marks, called decalcification. It says soda, sports and energy drinks, flavored bubbly waters and fruit drinks contain acids or sugars that dissolve enamel. Its advice: avoid regular and diet soft drinks while you wear braces, and brush right after if you have one. The ADA explains that sipping a sugary drink for a long time gives mouth bacteria more time to make acid.
NHS clinics add some simple rules:
- Between meals, drink only water or plain milk (North Cumbria, BOS).
- Keep fruit juice to mealtimes (BOS). One clinic says no more than once a day, diluted with water (Dorset).
- Skip fizzy drinks, even diet ones, because they're still acidic (Dorset, North Cumbria).
- Don't add sugar to tea or coffee (North Cumbria, Dorset).
The AAO also says a daily fluoride rinse can strengthen enamel and help prevent white marks. To see how often your snacks and drinks put your teeth under acid attack, try the Sugar Acid-Attack Calculator.
Clear aligners: take them out to eat
With clear aligners there's no food list. Take the trays out to eat, and drink only plain water with them in. The AAO says aligners must come out when you eat or drink anything other than water, and you should brush before you put them back in. With trays in, other drinks get trapped against your teeth, which raises the risk of cavities and can stain both the trays and your teeth (AAO). Coffee, tea and red wine can stain teeth too (AAO).
Every meal still costs wear time. The AAO says aligners are typically worn at least 22 hours a day. The Aligner Wear-Time Tracker logs each time your trays come out.
After braces: eating with a retainer
With a removable retainer, take it out to eat unless your orthodontist tells you otherwise (AAO). One NHS clinic also says to take it out to drink anything but plain water (Queen Victoria Hospital). With a bonded retainer, a thin wire glued behind your front teeth, avoid biting into hard foods that could damage it (Queen Victoria Hospital). The Retainer Schedule Generator turns your retainer plan into dates.
How this tool works
The checker holds more than 240 common US foods and drinks. Each one has a verdict for fixed braces, one or more reasons, a safer swap where one helps, and other names people search for.
| Verdict | What it means | When we use it |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid | Skip it while your braces are on | A source names the food, or it's plainly hard, sticky or chewy |
| Careful | OK if you cut it small and chew with your back teeth; for drinks, keep it to mealtimes | Sources say to slice it, cut it up, take it off the bone or cob, or limit it |
| Safe | Eat it as usual | A soft food the sources list as fine, or one that's plainly soft |
Each food lists its sources: the ones that name it, plus the sources behind its category rule. Where sources disagree, as they do on nuts, crusty bread, gum and smoothies, we show the stricter verdict and explain the difference.
The appliance switch applies the AAO's aligner rules and the AAO and NHS retainer rules to every food. Chewing ice stays off the list with any appliance, because the ADA says chewing hard things like ice can damage enamel and lead to a dental emergency. Search ignores capitals and punctuation, handles plurals and knows other names, so "kernels" finds popcorn and "crisps" finds chips. My day isn't saved. Copy link keeps your list and settings, but not your search.
The limits: recipes vary, and a soft food can hide hard bits like nuts or a crisp crust. This is general advice; expanders and other appliances can come with different rules. Your orthodontist's advice comes first.
Frequently asked questions
Can you eat popcorn with braces?
Can I chew gum with braces?
Can I eat pizza with braces?
Is chocolate OK with braces?
Can I drink soda with braces?
Can I eat with my aligners in?
Sources
- American Association of Orthodontists. Living With Braces: The Brace-Faced Adventure. 2023, updated 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Orthodontists. What Can I Eat with Braces? A Comprehensive Guide. 2025, updated 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Orthodontists. Orthodontists Offer Timely Advice for Parents of Children and Teens. 2022. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Orthodontists. What Candy Can You Eat With Braces?. 2023, updated 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Orthodontists. Aligners vs. Braces: A Comparison. 2019, updated 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Orthodontists. Clear Aligner Therapy: The Discreet Way to Straighten Teeth. 2024, updated 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Orthodontists. Clear Aligners: Discreet Ways to Straighten Teeth. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Orthodontists. What to Expect After Your Braces Come Off. 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Association of Orthodontists. How to Clean Retainers: AAO's Guide to Retainer Care. 2025, updated 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Eating Concerns: What (and How) to Eat When You're Having Dental Issues. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Sugar, Drinks and Dental Health. updated April 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Top 9 Foods That Damage Your Teeth. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- British Orthodontic Society. Teeth and Brace-Friendly Food and Drink (patient information leaflet, archived PDF). 2012. An archived copy; the BOS may have a newer version. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. Orthodontics: Fixed brace instructions. 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Advice for Looking After your Fixed Brace. 2021. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Instructions for Patients with Fixed Appliances (patient leaflet, PDF). 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. How to Look After your Braces (patient leaflet DEN_BRA_01, PDF). 2025. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Care of your Retainers (patient leaflet, PDF). 2022. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.