Just because your child is undergoing an orthodontic treatment, doesn’t mean they should have to miss out on the fun of Halloween! However, it’s important to be cautious during this festive season—Halloween candy can cause spooky damage to the wires and brackets of your child’s braces. Here are Dr. Hutta and Dr. Price’s best tips for keeping braces safe and happy this Halloween season:
- Bring a water bottle when you go trick or treating. Staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to flush leftover candy debris from the teeth and braces, keeping your mouth healthy and fresh.
- Avoid chewy candy (i.e. Milk Duds, Tootsie Rolls, Laffy Taffy) and hard candy (i.e. Jolly Ranchers, Life Savers, Lemon Heads) at all costs. These are our top offenders when it comes to Halloween-related braces damage! If a child bites down on a hard candy at the wrong angle, it can easily bend the wires or break brackets. And the sticky consistency of chewy candies often results in bent wires or brackets pulled off of the teeth. Best to steer clear of these options in your candy bag!
- Enjoy some braces-safe treats. You can still allow your child to indulge this Halloween! Soft chocolate candies (Hershey’s bars, Kisses, or 3 Musketeers) are completely safe to consume while you have braces! Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are also a safe bet. If your child doesn’t like chocolate, offer to bake some soft sugar cookies or have some ice cream on hand at home so they’ll have a braces-safe treat to enjoy in place of damaging candies.
- Make sure your child brushes and flosses as soon as they get home. This is particularly important when your child has braces since particles of candy tend to stick and hide between brackets and wires. However, by brushing and flossing as soon as possible, they can minimize the damage to their oral health.
- Donate your leftover candy. If your child has braces, they’ll likely accumulate lots of candy that won’t be safe for their teeth. Look into donating this candy to an organization like Operation Gratitude—a nonprofit that sends candy care packages to our troops overseas. This is a great way to give back and get your child involved in a charitable action!
Here at James T. Hutta Orthodontics, we wish you a Happy Halloween! If you have any questions or concerns, please give our office a call.