Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year for many of us; between all of the creative costumes, spooky festivities, and flavorful candies, there are a lot of ways to enjoy yourself all throughout October. However, when it comes to sweets and treats, it’s important to be mindful of how they might impact your orthodontic treatment. Luckily, you don’t have to avoid all types of candy; there are some that can play nicely with braces and clear aligners! Here’s what you need to know to keep your treatment on track.
Candy That Doesn’t Agree with Orthodontic Treatment
Some Halloween favorites are best left for after your braces come off, including items like:
- Chewy candies like taffy, caramel, gummy bears, Twizzlers, Skittles, Starbursts, and sour gummy worms. They can pull off wires or pop off brackets, as well as become lodged between them and the teeth.
- Crunchy and hard candies, such as items with nuts, lollipops, jawbreakers, Jolly Ranchers, and other similar items. Anything hard enough to chip a tooth can certainly damage a bracket or wire.
- Popcorn is still off-limits, so be mindful of popcorn balls and caramel corn.
- Bubblegum can be problematic since it can stick to the wires and brackets.
You Can Still Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth with Braces
Lots of candy options out there are actually orthodontic-friendly, including:
- Chocolate (without nuts) is a great option since it rinses off the teeth easily. Dark chocolate is even better since it contains less sugar than milk chocolate.
- Peanut butter cups are soft, creamy, and very gentle on braces.
- Ice cream is a cold, delicious, braces-friendly treat that’s great any time of year, including Halloween.
- Soft-baked cookies or brownies, whether store-bought or homemade, are great options as long as they don’t have nuts.
- Jell-O and pudding cups are incredibly gentle on teeth and braces and require virtually no chewing!
Keep Your Smile Healthy After Enjoying Your Candy
After enjoying all your Halloween sweets, be sure to brush and floss carefully, especially around your brackets and wires. However, it’s best to also wait at least half an hour after eating your candy to brush, since your enamel will be weakened. You can drink water in the meantime to help rinse away some of the sugary particles and to get your saliva flowing. And if you wear clear aligners, simply remember to always remove your aligners before consuming any type of candy or treat.
Halloween doesn’t have to be something you sit out due to your orthodontic treatment; it’s fairly easy to accommodate your teeth and your braces or aligners if you know what candies to stick to!
About the Practice
Under the leadership of Dr. Sam Alkhoury and Dr. Codi Saunders, our team here at Simply Orthodontics Grafton serves patients and families in North Grafton and the nearby area. We offer a wide range of orthodontic services for all ages, including traditional braces, clear aligners, and many other options. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with our office to set up an appointment for yourself or a family member, please reach out online or call today for more information. Telephone: (508) 839-9350.