When you think about Halloween, you probably think about candy. We want your Halloween to be fun and tasty, AND we want to help you keep your orthodontic treatment as quick and enjoyable as possible. We all know that sugary sweets aren’t good for your teeth, but there are some extra sticky, hard candies that can be harmful to your brackets and appliances. In addition to avoiding broken brackets and bent wires, we always encourage you to brush your teeth and floss thoroughly after eating candy, including around your brackets and at the gum line. We have put together a list of some popular candies that are braces-friendly, as well as some that are best to avoid while you are in treatment.

Enjoy

• Hersheys cookies and cream
• Chocolate bars without toffee, sticky caramel or nuts
• Reeses peanut butter cups
• M&Ms
• Kit kat bars
• Pixy stix
• Lays Chips
• Cheeto Puffs
• Gelatin candies
• Baked goods like cookies, cupcakes, Bear Paws

Avoid

• Starburst
• Caramels
• Toffee
• Skittles
• Jolly ranchers
• Laffy taffy
• Biting into candy apples
• Tootsie rolls
• Licorice

Some Helpful Tips

The Canadian Orthodontic Association provides some helpful tips for healthy smiles at Halloween, which you can check out here. One of their tips says that “Brushing and flossing after a snack is ideal, but rinsing with a glass of water after eating a sugary treat will also help wash away some of the sugars and acids.” This is a great tip to keep in mind if you are snacking on the go while Trick or Treating, and can’t head home to brush right away. Another great tip can be that if your absolute favourite treat is on the avoid list but you can’t help but snack on just one, allowing the treat to melt in your mouth rather than chewing down on the hard, sticky snack will allow you to enjoy the flavour without risking the destruction.

 If you happen to damage your orthodontic appliances, we are a judgment free zone! Give us a call at 403-287-0746 and we are here to help. We hope you have a fun and safe Halloween season!