Halloween is just around the corner, and that means your witches, ghouls, and ghosts are going to be getting buckets (literally) of candy. Parents of children who plan on going trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating already know that they will have to check their children’s candy haul to make sure there is nothing dangerous, that the candy is rationed out to avoid belly aches, and, of course, to set some aside for themselves. However, parents of children who wear braces need to be the most vigilant. In addition to surveying the candy for the reasons mentioned above, parents of braces-wearing kids need to be aware of what types of candy are OK for their kids to eat and which are not.
Continue reading about what candies are appropriate to give your children who have braces and which candy to avoid so that your little zombies don’t end up with a broken wire.
Treats To Avoid This Halloween
If your children have braces, there are a few types of candies they will want to steer clear of to avoid broken wires and to have a spooktacular Halloween. Our Idaho Falls orthodontist recommends bypassing the following five categories of candy this fall:
- Hard Candies – Hard candies are any candy that could potentially bend wires, break off brackets, or stain elastics. These include jolly ranchers, Lifesavers, jawbreakers, Nerds, Tic Tacs, and butterscotch candies, to name a few.
- Chewy Candies – Chewy candies like Starburst, taffy, Skittles, Tootsie Rolls, jellybeans, and gumdrops can break or bend your braces. Stay away from these treats this year.
- Caramel – Both hard and soft caramels can and will get stuck in your braces, and between your wires, which could result in your brackets being torn off of your teeth. This also includes candies with caramel, like Sugar Babies, Heath, and Skor bars, as well as caramel and candy apples. For caramel lovers, this article suggests cutting up an apple for Halloween and dipping it in caramel sauce.
- Licorice – Just like caramel, chewy licorice is terrible for braces and can bend wires and tear brackets. Additionally, licorice can easily get lodged in between teeth and contributes to bad breath and tooth decay.
- Nuts & Candy with Nuts – People who wear braces should skip eating nuts and candies that have nuts throughout them. Treats like Almond Joy, Snickers, Babe Ruth, PayDay, and Hershey’s with Almonds should be avoided altogether. One way for “nut lovers” to get their fix would be to opt for peanut butter comes.
Treats That Can Be Enjoyed This Halloween
Now that we’ve gotten what your children shouldn’t be eating if they have braces, let’s take a look at what treats they can enjoy this year:
- Chocolate – Just plain ole chocolate is totally acceptable for your kids to enjoy this Halloween. Your Idaho Falls orthodontist recommends Hershey’s Bars, Kisses, and Hugs as well as Dove bars. Also, nougat-filled candy bars like 3 Musketeers or mint treats like a York Peppermint Pattie are totally fine!
- Cookies & Brownies – Soft baked cookies or brownies without nuts are also a viable option for tasty treats your children with braces can enjoy this year.
- Powdery Candy – Pixie Stix and Sweet Tarts are a fun option as well.
- Other Options – Soft serve ice cream, crackers, rootbeer floats, hard candies (only to suck, never to bite down on), apple cider, etc.
Consider The Teal Pumpkin Project
If you’re concerned about your child ruining their braces from Halloween candy, you may want to consider participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project.
According to Taste of Home, The Teal Pumpkin Project is an effort by the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization to raise awareness of food allergies and promote the inclusion of all trick-or-treaters during the Halloween season.
While your child may or may not have food allergies, this is a great way to avoid sifting through the candy to make sure your child doesn’t get a caramel that could dislodge their brackets.
Find out more about this project here.
From our Idaho Falls orthodontics office, Randall Orthodontics wants to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween!
Featured Image by Conner Baker on Unsplash
