Orthodontist Approved Halloween Treats

Worried that wearing braces might ruin the fun of Halloween night? It’s certainly a scary thought, but luckily wearing braces doesn’t mean you have to skip the candy. We want to help you have a frightfully fun night while also keeping your braces and your mouth healthy. To avoid damaging your braces and putting a successful orthodontic treatment at risk it’s important to learn what treats you can and cannot eat with your braces.

Is It Okay to Eat Candy with Braces?

Yes! You can eat candy with braces- but only the right types. Braces are designed to interfere with your normal life as little as possible, but some concessions have to be made for the safety of your mouth and the well-being of the braces hardware.

Why Are Some Foods Bad for Braces?

The main reason to watch what you eat when you have braces is that some foods can cause damage to your teeth or to your braces. Foods high in acids can cause damage to the hard outer layer of your teeth. Sticky or chewy foods can get stuck in your braces brackets or even cause one to loosen or pop off your tooth.

Eating hard foods like chips or carrots can also be too tough on brackets and cause them to pop off your teeth. Some hard foods can also cause the wires in your braces to break. Making sure that foods are soft and eaten in bite sized pieces are good ways to help ensure your braces hardware is being taken care of.

Anytime that a break or damage happens to your braces it can result in your orthodontic treatment taking longer than your orthodontist planned. That means more time before you finally get to see your amazing, new, braces-free smile. So, making sure you take care of your braces is worth it.

Which Treats Are Orthodontist Approved?

There are still many Halloween treats you can enjoy with your braces. The following treats are orthodontist approved to be easy on your braces so you can keep your treatment on track.

Chocolate Bars

Chocolate is an excellent choice for braces wearers because it is generally soft and melts easily. Breaking your chocolate into bite size pieces, or choosing small chocolates like Hershey’s Kisses, and letting them melt in your mouth before you chew helps to ensure that there won’t be any damage to braces hardware. Avoid chocolate with caramel and nuts. Caramel is sticky and pulls at brackets and gets stuck around braces. Nuts can be too hard and pop off brackets or get stuck in braces and cause irritation.

Chocolate Based Candy Bars

There are chocolate options besides your basic chocolate bar. Three Musketeers, peanut butter cups, KitKat, Junior Mints and peppermint patties are all good options if you have braces. These chocolates are all soft to eat and don’t contain anything too crunchy or chewy.

Marshmallows

Any candy made of marshmallow can be eaten with braces. The marshmallow dissolves quickly in the mouth and is soft and easy to bite. Avoid candies with hard coatings or candies on the outside and stick to soft marshmallows like Peeps or Mallo Cups.

Cake

You can enjoy nearly any cake, cake pop, or cupcake as long as they don’t contain nuts or candies. Soft cake with frosting poses no danger to your braces.

Soft Cookies and Brownies

While cookies and brownies aren’t exactly candy, they are a treat you can readily enjoy while wearing braces. Make sure the cookies and brownies are soft and that they are not made with nuts.

Ice Cream, Milkshakes, and Frozen Yogurt

You won’t find them in a trick-or-treating bag, but ice cream, milkshakes, and frozen yogurt are all delicious ways to enjoy your holiday.

Jell-o and Pudding

These jiggly soft treats are easy on braces and can be used to make some super spooky desserts or just eaten on their own.

Which Treats Are Not Approved by Orthodontists?

While there are plenty of treats you can eat with braces, there are many you definitely want to steer clear of. Your Dentist of Torrance orthodontist loves to see you, but not for emergency orthodontic repair! To protect your teeth and braces you should avoid the treats on this list.

Sticky and Chewy Candy

These candies stick to braces hardware and your teeth. They can pull on brackets and pop them off your teeth. They also stick to the outer surface of teeth and make it harder to get them clean. This category includes candies like taffy and caramels, as well as Starbursts, Skittles, jellybeans, and anything gummy.

Hard Candy

One of the biggest culprits of broken braces wires? Hard candy! Hard candy can get in between the wire and your teeth and break wires or pop off brackets as you bite down. And because sucking on these candies leaves your teeth exposed to sugar for long periods of time, they are best avoided altogether.

Gum

Sticky, chewy and a mess to clean up. No braces wearer should chew gum.

Nuts

Avoid nuts in candies, cookies, and other treats. They can get stuck in your braces and irritate your gums or be hard enough to break or pop off a bracket.

Popcorn and Chips

Like nuts, these foods are too hard. They can break wires or pop off brackets and get easily stuck in your braces making it hard to get them clean.

Your Dentist of Torrance dentist wants to make sure you have a fun, happy and safe Halloween. Following these steps helps to ensure that even with braces you can enjoy your holiday to the fullest while protecting the smile you have worked so hard for.

If you are ready to change your smile, give our office a call at (310) 651-7660 to set up an appointment with one of our orthodontists today!