Halloween 2020 Tips

Halloween 2020 Tips
Posted on 10/19/2020

Trick or treat! It seems like braces and Halloween candy mix like oil and water—or vampires and werewolves, if you prefer. But the truth is not ALL Halloween candy is off-limits for braces wearers. Of course, there are foods to avoid with braces. You probably learned about those at one of your initial orthodontist visits. Braces won’t stop you from enjoying Halloween, but it is necessary to take some precautions to make sure that you are making the right choices for your smile this holiday. We’re here to help! Here are a few tips, tricks, and treats to make sure your Halloween doesn’t end with a broken bracket or cavities!

Here’s a handy checklist to help you survive Halloween temptations with a healthier smile and even find a few sweets you can enjoy!

Avoid hard, sticky, crunchy or chewy snacks and candies. These include caramel, gummies, licorice, taffy, and jelly beans. These will stick more to braces and make cleaning your teeth harder.

Hard-shelled peanut candies, nuts or nut-filled candies, taco chips and popcorn are also on the avoid list.

If this all seems a little icy so far, we apologize, but that also brings up a good point. Braces or not, Never Eat Ice! It can chip teeth, damage enamel, and crack the cement that bonds the braces to the teeth.

And now for the good news, Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, focus on what you can. Any type of chocolate candy bar will generally be a safe bet, as long as it doesn’t contain any caramel or nuts. Keep in mind that biting into bigger candy bars can potentially damage the braces on your child’s front teeth, so breaking large candy bars into smaller pieces is a better idea. Fortunately, Halloween is full of fun-sized and mini-sized bars, so you won’t have to worry too much about keeping braces safe!

Finally, always brush and floss immediately after eating candy to fight cavities. And, if it isn’t possible to brush right away, drink a glass of water to remove some of the sugar from your mouth.

As you can see, having a child in braces doesn’t have to take the fun out of your family’s Halloween celebrations! Whatever your plans for Halloween include, we hope it’s safe, happy, and full of healthy smiles!