9/28/22: Added additional FAQs
7/22/22: Updated Content: Added instagram/TikTok video of candies you can eat with braces.
Love candy? You probably will admit to eating some sugary sweets at times. When you get braces, though, you can’t eat everything that you’d like, including some types of candy. That’s because candy can be both hard and sticky – two things that you should avoid when you’re wearing braces. Since the sticky sugar coats every surface of the tooth, it makes your teeth difficult to clean, and it’s even more difficult when you have braces on, with the brackets and bands being in the way of a good brushing.
View this post on Instagram
Chocolate is generally safe with braces.
In most cases having a sweet treat once in a while is okay, but before eating sweets, it important to understand which candies are safe for your braces and which ones you need to avoid at all costs that can damage your braces. With this knowledge, you will be able to keep your teeth and gums healthier and have a more successful orthodontic treatment period.
Not all sweets are off the table when it comes to wearing braces. You can enjoy these candies without worrying about damaging your braces:
Brownies and chewy cookies are a perfect treat for those wearing braces.
Certain kinds of candy that can damage your braces and then cause you to require more dental services include:
Caramel: Caramel is sugary and sticky, and adheres to the teeth. It also adheres to braces and is difficult to simply brush off. That means that as it mixes with the saliva in your mouth, it will form plaque and possibly tartar unless you go to your dentist at least every six months for a cleaning.
Avoid Gummi Bears if you wear braces.
Gummy Bears and Tootsie Rolls, Salt Water Taffy: If you have braces, definitely stay away from this kind of candy! It’s stretchy and sticky, and you can easily pull off your brackets when eating them.
Skittles and M Ms: These candies are too hard to be chewing when you have braces. You’ll likely end up with broken brackets and damaged wires if you eat too many. It’s best to stay away.
Sour Patch Kids and Mike Ike’s: These candies are very sticky and chewy, making them one of the worst candies to eat with braces. Each time you chew, these candies will stick to your braces, pulling at them which can lead to issues such as broken brackets.
Chewing Gum: This is another sticky option that requires constant chewing. Just like other chewy candies like caramels or sour patch kids, each chewing stroke when you are chewing gum will pull at your braces leading to damage like a broken brace or bracket.
Fruit and fruit smoothies are perfect for braces.
When you wear braces, you should try to eliminate a lot of candy from your diet–not only because you don’t want to damage your braces and possibly upset your orthodontic services, but also because most candy tends to be made from a lot of sugar. The more sugar that you consume, either through eating or drinking, will cause more plaque to form on your teeth. If you don’t brush that plaque away (and it can be difficult to brush the plaque completely off when you are wearing braces), it will turn into tartar, which can cause problems that include cavities and gum disease. Here are some braces-friendly alternative to candy to help you satisfy your sweet tooth:
If you have any questions about what you should or should not eat while wearing braces, give King Orthodontics a call. We’re happy to help, and if you should run into some trouble after eating sweets, we can fix any problems.
Q: My family just brought back saltwater taffy from the beach? Can I safely eat that with braces?
A: Unfortunately, Saltwater taffy or other taffy like Laffy Taffy will frequently stick to your brackets and wires and generally make a mess of things. As much as you would like to have a vacation treat, I would avoid saltwater taffy with braces.
Q: What about Hard Candy like Jolly Ranchers or Tootsie Pops?
A: Hard candy will not damage your braces unless you crunch on it, but we all know from the commercial how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop. If the wise owl cannot make it past 3 licks, it would be hard to expect anyone to! Crunching down on hard candy or a lollypop is an extremely stressful activity for your braces and should be avoided at all costs.
Q: I just ate a candy off the above “Safe for Braces” List, what should I do now?
A: Once finished with your treat, I recommend drinking plenty of water, then taking a few moments to brush your teeth and braces as well as flossing after.
Q: I really like chewing gum and do it all the time. Is there any alternatives to gum I can chew while wearing my braces?
It is important to understand that chewing sticky substances like gum will make your teeth hurt longer after adjustments, as well as possibly damaging the brackets and wires and causing your braces to need further adjusting. Chewing some raw ginger or mint is a decent alternative and also provides some other benefits to your body. As a worst case alternative, gently sucking on a small mint like an altoid, being careful to not chew on the mint.
