With Halloween coming up soon, it’s important to know what candies are safer for braces and the ones that aren’t. Don’t let your oral health be neglected due to the excitement of trick or treating. At King Orthodontics, we’ve put together some tips on what candies to enjoy and the ones to avoid this Halloween.
If You Have Braces Beware of These Treats
Don’t ruin your Halloween fun by eating candies that can damage your braces. To avoid an orthodontic emergency in the middle of your Halloween party, avoid these types of sweets:
- Chewy Candies. Starburst, Laffy Taffy, Sour Patch Kids, Tootsie rolls, jelly beans or any other kind of chewy candy should be avoided because they can break or bend your braces.
- Licorice. This is another chewy candy to avoid. Licorice can bend wires and tear off brackets.
- Caramel. Hard or soft caramels can get stuck in your braces and can also tear brackets off your teeth. Candies like Sugar Babies, Toffee, and caramels are bad for your teeth as well. Be sure to avoid caramel apples and candy apples. Try caramel dip or caramel sauce with apple slices to satisfy your caramel cravings instead.
- Candy Bars and Candies Containing Nuts. Candies like Snickers, Babe Ruth, Payday and Almond Joy or any other nut-containing candies should be avoided. If you enjoy nutty candies,
try peanut butter cups instead.
- Hard Candies. Any type of hard candy is bad for your braces. Jawbreakers, Lifesavers, butterscotch candies, jolly ranchers, Warheads, and any other kind of hard candy can stain your elastics, cause tooth decay and break off your brackets.
Best Candies to Eat with Braces
Just because you have braces doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the sweet treats of Halloween. Look for these candies in your trick-or-treat bag:
- Plain Chocolate. This type of candy is easy to chew and won’t damage your braces. Pure chocolate, like Hershey’s bars or Kisses, is also less likely to cause tooth decay compared to other candies.
- Peanut Butter Cups. If you like candies with nuts, go for the peanut butter cups. They can satisfy your sweet tooth without damaging your braces.
- Kit Kats or Nestle Crunch. If you want more of a crunch with your chocolate, consider Kit Kats or Nestle Crunch bars.
- Mint Patties. With their soft texture and refreshing taste, York or Junior Mints are a great treat for braces wearers. Be sure to brush after eating these treats because they are loaded with sugar.
Contact King Orthodontics to learn more about braces-approved candies and caring for your braces or to schedule a checkup today!
Dr. Bryan King earned his DMD from The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and holds his Master of Dental Science in Periodontics from The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Bryan has also completed an Orthodontic residency at St Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx, New York. Dr Bryan has received many honors as a practicing orthodontist including, being named a Diplomate of the American Board ofOrthodontics and being named a “Top Dentist” by Pittsburgh Magazine for several years running. He also earned the Lifetime achievement award given by Align Technologies in 2014 for his work with Invisalign.
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