Halloween is a fun excuse for us to spook ourselves with stories of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins, but if you're celebrating Halloween with braces this year, there's one thing you really should be scared of: candy! While delicious, most of the treats we love to indulge in during Halloween are hard, sticky, chewy, or full of sugar, which is a perfect recipe for broken braces. As your dedicated Griffin orthodontist we at Lindsey Orthodontics want to make the orthodontic treatment process easier in any way we can. So with that in mind, here's our guide to Halloween candies that are safe for braces!
Braces-Safe Candies for Halloween
Want to celebrate Halloween this year without doing damage to your braces? Then stay away from candies or foods that are hard, crunchy, sticky, or gooey, and instead, stick with candies like these:
- Apples: Ok, ok, hear us out. Apples may not be the prized possession on Halloween, but these naturally sweet fruits can still make for a great braces-friendly treat. Cut an apple into bite-size slices to prevent it hurting your braces, then dip it in soft, melted chocolate – we're sure you'll enjoy it!
- Reese's Cups: These tasty treats seem to strike the perfect balance between sweet chocolate and salty peanut butter, and thankfully, they're soft enough to be safe for braces! Feel free to indulge and dig into a Reese's Cup this Halloween.
- Milk Chocolate: Milk chocolate is another classic Halloween candy that's normally ok for braces. Just make sure it's soft, as harder dark chocolates still may pose a threat.
- Hard Candies (with Caution): Normally we'd recommend staying away from hard candy as it can break brackets, but if you're extremely careful, it's possible to enjoy hard candies and lollipops without harming braces. Just make sure to only lick or suck on them, take care that they don't hit your brackets, and never bite down. With care and caution, you should be fine.
Schedule an Appointment with Your Locust Grove Orthodontist
Of course, we have to include a disclaimer: none of these candies are actually "braces-friendly." They all contain sugar, which can cause cavities that derail your treatment. However, enjoying these candies in moderation and thoroughly brushing and flossing your teeth afterward won't do damage to your braces, so you can still participate in the Halloween festivities. Have a happy, braces-safe Halloween this year, and don't forget to schedule a check-up at our office for a post-candy inspection!