An Orthodontist’s Guide to Halloween With Braces

It’s not the things that go bump in the night, the vampires, or the zombies. It’s the disastrous things that can happen to your braces on this frightening and fun holiday that keeps orthodontists up at night. But it’s easy to have fun and keep your braces safe on Halloween.

Stay Safe in the Dark

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of running from driveway to driveway to collect goodies from all of the houses in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. But if it’s dark outside, you need to be careful! Try to stay in well-lit areas or carry a flashlight so you don’t trip and fall, which could cause serious damage to your braces (not to mention the rest of you).

Safe Candy for Braces

Parties, costumes, and haunted houses are fun ways to celebrate Halloween if you have braces. But the main event is always the sweet treats! People with braces know they need to be careful about what they eat, and Halloween candy is no exception.

Sticky foods like caramel and taffy can pull and tug on your braces and wires. This can weaken the adhesive that keeps your braces attached to your teeth and cause bent or broken wires. Not to mention, caramel and taffy are difficult to clean from your braces. If you do decide to eat something sticky, don’t use your fingers to pull the candy out because you could bend or break one of the wires on your braces. Wait and use your toothbrush and floss in front of the mirror.

Hard foods like candy apples, suckers, and candy bars with nuts in them can also damage the wires between your teeth or break or dislodge a bracket. Not only can this cause mouth pain and an additional trip to the orthodontist to get it repaired, but it can also prolong your treatment.

What Halloween Candy Can You Eat With Braces?

Steer clear of hard or sticky treats. Instead, opt for these softer candies:

• Peppermint patties
• Three Musketeers
• Kit Kats
• Plain M&Ms (avoid ones with peanuts or almonds)
• Hershey bars or Hershey Kisses
• Sweet Tarts
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Protect Your Braces on Halloween

On Halloween, some of the normal rules don’t apply which can be really fun! You get to wear a costume that you normally wouldn’t, stay up later than usual, and eat as much candy as you want in one night.

But there is one rule that you shouldn’t break on Halloween if you have braces! You should always brush and floss your teeth before bed. This important part of your daily routine is even more important after indulging in a lot of sugary treats.

So go out and have fun, but please, don’t make your orthodontist’s worst nightmares come true!