If this is your first Halloween season having braces, you may be wondering if you’re allowed to enjoy any Halloween candies this year. The good news is you are most definitely allowed to indulge in some Halloween treats this year, you just have to be selective about what candy you eat with braces. Eating candy with braces can seem risky, but as long as you make smart decisions and consume your favorite candies in moderation, your braces and brackets should remain in place!
Halloween Candy and Braces
Below is our orthodontist recommended list of candy to eat with braces, and our list of candy to avoid eating with braces this Halloween season.
Candy to Avoid Eating with Braces
- Lollipops: Lollipops and suckers should be avoided this Halloween if you have braces. Because you have to suck on lollipops to enjoy them, this means the candy is in your mouth longer than other candies. This gives the candy more time to cause damage to your teeth due to the prolonged exposure to the acids from the sugar. On top of this, if you accidentally bite the lollipop before it is soft enough, the candy can dislodge bands or cause damage to the wires of your braces.
- Hard Candies: Similar to lollipops, hard candies, such as Jolly Ranchers, Runts, and Life Savers, sit in your mouth for longer periods than softer candies because you have to suck on them in order to make them soft enough to chew and swallow. This gives you a lot of time to be tempted to chew the candies, which can cause serious damage to your braces.
- Sticky Candies: Sticky candies like Starbursts, gummy worms, and taffys can get stuck in the wires and bands of your braces and can be hard to remove with brushing and flossing alone. On top of this, when the candy is unable to be removed from your teeth and braces, the prolonged exposure to the sugar on your enamel can cause cavities.
- Nutty Candies: Candies that contain nuts, such as Almond Joys and Snickers, can be rough on your braces. The sharp bite of the nut can cause damage to your brackets if they hit in the wrong place.
Safe Candy to Eat with Braces
- Chocolate: Luckily, one of the most popular Halloween candies will cause no harm to your braces. Chocolate bars, including Hershey’s, Butterfingers, and Kit Kats, are all a safe choice of candy to eat with braces because the chocolate melts easily and does not get stuck in the brackets and bands. If some chocolate does get stuck in your braces, there is no need to worry because the residue can be easily removed with your daily brushing.
- Peanut Butter Cups: Peanut butter cups, which are another Halloween favorite, are a safe option this Halloween as well. Although peanut butter is usually a messy food choice when it comes to eating it with braces, the mix of chocolate and peanut butter in peanut butter cups makes it a little different. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter mixed together makes the candy smoother and less likely to get stuck in your bands like normal peanut butter would.
Contact Braces Braces with Any Additional Questions
Keep in mind that you will only have your braces for a few years, but it is important to take care of them so you do not have to wear the braces for longer than necessary. The good news is you will celebrate many more Halloweens in the future where you can eat all of your favorite Halloween candies without the risk of the candies damaging your braces. If you have any additional questions about Halloween candy and braces, or about your braces in general, give our Braces Braces office a call at 770-222-2322. We have many offices located near the Atlanta area, and our receptionist will direct you to the Braces Braces location closest to you.
