When wearing braces, it’s very important to know what kinds of foods to avoid. Foods containing sugar should be minimized, and other kinds of food particles and bacteria can get stuck behind the braces and lead to tooth decay.

Sticky Food

Any foods that will pull or get stuck in your braces are best to be avoided; that includes all types of chewing gum, gummy candies, caramels, fruit roll-ups and licorice.

Hard and Crunchy Food

Popcorn is especially troublesome because the bits, pieces and hulls slip into tiny crevices. Avoid hard candy, nuts, chewing on ice, corn on the cob, pretzels, hard cookies (unless you soften them with milk first) and hard or chewy crusts of any kind. If a food is overly crunchy when you bite into it, be cautious.

Hard Food Exceptions

You can still enjoy apples or pears, but you need to cut them into small pieces or wedges first–taking a bite without doing this can cause too much stress on your braces. You can eat raw carrots, too, but shred or grate them first.

Considerations

Brush and floss your teeth often. If you have a sugary snack, brush as soon as possible.

Warning

If you do not avoid foods that are inappropriate, you will spend a lot of extra time at the orthodontist. Damaged braces can lead to a longer treatment process.

Getting rid of thick skin on the feet can often require multiple attempts before noticing any major improvements. With the aid of essential oils and over-the-counter callus removal products, you can begin to see softer, better-looking feet after only a few at-home treatments. Take good care of your feet by removing thick skin and moisturizing regularly. Never use a blade, cheese grater or other sharp object to cut excess thick skin off your feet.

1. Fill a bathtub, sink or foot pan with warm water.
2. Add 1/2-cup of magnesium sulfate — commonly referred to as Epsom salt — along with a few drops of tea tree oil, castor oil or another callus-removing essential oil to the warm water. The oils or callus-remover liquids are optional, although they are helpful in removing thick skin by softening the skin on the feet.
3. Soak your feet in the warm water solution for 5 to 25 minutes, depending on severity.
4. Moisten the pumice stone by dipping it into the warm water solution for a few seconds. Working on only one foot at a time, scrub the problem areas with the pumice stone in a circular motion. Place the first foot back into the warm water solution. Moisten the pumice stone and repeat scrubbing on the second foot.
5. Remove dead skin from the feet by gently rubbing off any excess with your hands into the warm water.