It’s not enough just to wear braces on your teeth; you have to hold up your end of the bargain. You must care for them as your orthodontist instructs, and that includes sticking to the diet guidelines. Some foods can loosen or break braces, which will probably mean you’ll have to wear the braces for a longer period of time. Follow these rules to achieve quicker treatment and a great smile.

DON’T eat hard foods
Anything hard cannot safely be chewed with braces. Avoid items like raw apples and carrots, popcorn, nuts, hard candies, crunchy chips, corn on the cob, and ice.

DON’T eat sticky or chewy foods
Braces can be pulled apart by sticky foods. Don’t eat foods like taffy, caramels, gummy candy, jelly beans, caramel apples, and peanut brittle.

DON’T eat sugary foods
Braces make it harder to keep your teeth clean, and sugar can cause cavities, tarter buildup, and stains. Eat sparingly foods like soda, fruit juices, ice cream, candy, cake, cookies, and pie. If you do eat foods high in sugar, brush your teeth immediately afterwards.

DON’T eat highly acidic foods
Items high in acid content can lead to permanent stains and tooth damage. Avoid items such as sodas (even diet ones), citrus fruits, and lemon juice.

DON’T use your front teeth to bite foods
You can loosen your brackets by biting into foods with your front teeth. Cut meat off the bone from ribs or fried chicken, use a knife to cut corn off the cob, and tear or cut pizza into bite-sized pieces.