Why do they tell you not to eat nuts?

[Ziggy]

I asked my ortho today and he says he never tells his patients not to eat nuts. Still, everything I read about what you can and can't eat with braces says not to eat nuts.

[Bracingmyself901]

Nuts are pretty hard. Hard things can break your bracket off if you chew them the wrong way/carelessly. Many people will tell you that once they get comfortable with their braces they get more "bold" in what they eat (eating big ortho no-no's) but will do so slowly and carefully and have never had a broken bracket.

[sirwired]

The ortho is the one who's job it is to re-bond your bracket (usually for free), so they request a ban on extremely crunchy/chewy/sticky foods to keep that down. The only tempting food I'd absolutely avoid (and this one was tough for me) is popcorn. A bit of popcorn hull can wedge itself securely between a bracket and your gum and do permanent damage without you knowing it.

[BracesGuy]

Brackets can break off, but what can more easily happen is the wire can get bent and also pulled out of the molar tubes.

[Beckett]

I couldn't eat a nut right now if I tried. All my teeth feel so spongy and tender, it would be a killer to eat something that hard. The bacon I had last night with dinner was too crispy and even that hurt.

[cjtramont]

You can break a bracket, also nuts get stuck under the wires and in and amongst the brackets and can be a PITA to get out.

[passport]

Hmm... I'm considering braces but I eat nuts every single day. What if it's not a hard nut like an almond, but softer like a cashew? Would that be okay?

[Ziggy]

Thanks for all the replies. I've been eating nuts like Pistachios and Pumpkin Seeds. I wouldn't attempt Almonds as they are just too hard. As some have already said, they do get stuck in the wires so you just have to brush a little better and a Waterpik is a big help. I was completely staying away from all nuts, but now it's just common sense. Obviously no cracking walnuts with your teeth, and if you start to bite down and it hurts spit it out. If your ortho gives you buildups, and your molars aren't really touching, just say "no" to nuts.