As Halloween draws near, delicious candies and homemade treats are part of the fun for everyone—but which ones will leave you smiling and which will be goblins at your next visit to the family orthodontist? There are some safe choices out of the bags and buckets of bounty, and some that orthodontic specialists say you should be sure to avoid with braces.
Let’s look into the spooky subject of Halloween candy and braces. Don’t worry! Tasty treats are waiting.
Halloween Candy You Can Eat with Braces
Share this list with family and friends so that they can stock up on the best Halloween candy this year!
● Chocolate. This may be the best news at Halloween: Pure chocolate melts quickly and completely. It is removed by a good brushing, so keep the kisses and bite-sized chocolates for yourself.
● Peanut Butter Cups. Oh-so-delicious and safe during orthodontic treatment, peanut butter cups have a smooth texture and dissolve easily too. Hang on to a few of these, because they are a family favorite even for parents!
● Soft Caramel and Chocolate. Caramel is not always a good choice, which we will discuss later, but certain soft options are okay. Kisses with caramel or Milky Ways are usually fine. Just remember to brush your teeth well after eating them.
Candy to Avoid with Braces at Halloween
There are some candies in your haul that just aren’t good choices this year. The best preventative treatment program might be sharing them with family and friends or having someone take them to work.
● Hard Candies. Things like suckers and sour hard candies dissolve slowly, exposing your teeth to sugar over a long time. Also, if you bite them even a little, they can dislodge bands or damage wires.
● Frozen Candy. Keeping Halloween candy in the freezer is popular with some families, but this year eat your candy at room temperature. Hard frozen caramel may be one of the worst things to chomp on this season.
● Chewing Gum. Gum is never a good choice with braces for teeth, but the bubble gum which is everywhere on this holiday is incredibly sticky and will glue itself to any orthodontic appliances. If you get gum stuck on your braces, call your orthodontist for advice right away.
● Small Coated Candies. Simply because they are small and hard at first bite, tiny treats like M&Ms, Nerds, and Skittles can get trapped under wires or even pop off a bracket when biting down. It is even more troublesome if you eat a handful at a time rather than letting each one dissolve.
● Taffy and Sticky Sweets. Harder caramels, Laffy Taffy, and gummy worms and bears are bad news. They stick to wires and bands, getting into small crevices, and the sugar in them stays in contact with your teeth. Brushing may not get these off easily. Gummy things are ghouls!
● Popcorn Balls. Even popcorn in a bowl can cause particles to get wedged in your braces, and a hard kernel can break a wire or move a band. Combined with a hard candy coating, a popcorn ball can be a scary sight to someone with braces.
Smiles and Caring Help at Halloween and All Year Long
Helping you and those you care about smile wide and enjoy more is our goal at Labbe Family Orthodontics. Sharing stories and visiting at holidays is one of the ways we are the family orthodontist that treats you like family.
Stop by and show us your costumes and call us if there are any unexpected problems. Even if you ate something on the no-no list, we are happy to help. Rather than looking for an “orthodontist near me” this fall, schedule a free consultation for a caring experience that will be a treat all year long!
