AVOID ALL HARD, STICKY, OR CHEWY FOODS SUCH AS:

ICE… A thousand times NO. It will totally destroy your braces.
PIZZA CRUST…The hard crust bends the wires.
HARD PRETZELS…Bend wires, loosen bands, knock off brackets.
DORITOS, TACOS, CHEETOS, FRITOS and the like…Will form a hard ball and break your braces.
CARAMEL CANDY, BUBBLE GUM… Sticky goo which pulls off wires and feeds the bacteria in your mouth.
HARD ROLLS, BAGELS, BONES…Bends the wires and knocks off brackets.
BEEF JERKY, SLIM JIMS…Tough as nails.
SUCKERS…You might weaken and bite.
NUTS…No nuts of any kind.
RIBS…Knock off brackets.
PENS and PENCILS…Favorite exam-time food. Break everything.
POPCORN…The little shells get between the gum and band and will hurt you like crazy.
RAW CARROTS…Hard as rocks.

Eating these foods will loosen the braces, but you may not discover the problem until hours or days later…Surprise! Loose bands, broken wires, and detached brackets cause a longer treatment time.