What You Need To Know While Wearing Braces This Halloween

Kahan Orthodontics wants you and your friends to enjoy an evening of trick or treating and costume parties, but we also want you to protect your braces! Our skilled orthodontist Dr. Elysa Kahan and her experienced team have put together easy-to-follow safe Halloween practices for our patients wearing braces.

Best Halloween Candy For Braces

For patients with braces, we have some great candy choices that you can enjoy throughout the month. Kahan Orthodontics recommends sticking to the following types of candies during Halloween:

  • Chocolate: chocolate is a pretty good choice for everyone, even those wearing braces. It melts naturally in your mouth and has very little risk of damage to your wires and brackets. Feel free to enjoy chocolate bars, like Hersheys and chocolate kisses this Halloween!
  • Peanut Butter Cups: similar to chocolate, peanut butter cups melt easily and have a smooth consistency that will not disturb your braces. 
  • Milky Way: once again, chocolate is your friend here. Milky Ways are made primarily of chocolate, with a caramel center. Although we do not usually recommend a sticky candy like caramel, in Milky Ways, the caramel is fairly soft. There is no real risk to your braces while enjoying this treat.

 

Note: Although these Halloween candies are acceptable for braces, that doesn’t mean we are recommending a high consumption of these candies. Remember, everything in moderation. And, please be sure to brush and floss thoroughly after enjoying your Halloween candy.

Avoid These Halloween Candies

Unfortunately, there are many Halloween candies that are not suitable for individuals with braces. This Halloween season, please avoid the following candies as they can break or damage wires and brackets, and ultimately damage your orthodontic treatment plan. 

 

  • Hard Candy: there are many different types of hard candy, especially around Halloween. The biggest culprit tends to be the Jolly Rancher. Please avoid eating any hard candy while wearing braces. Biting the candy can severely damage your braces.
  • Bubble Gum: bubble gum puts your braces at risk year round. There is no exception for Halloween. 
  • Sticky Candy: sticky candy is the biggest culprit of bending wires out of place. Please avoid candies like toffee, caramels, Skittles and Starbursts whenever possible. 

 

If you do consume one of these candies or another candy and it causes damage to your braces, please contact Kahan Orthodontics right away. We will fix the bracket or wire to ensure your orthodontic treatment continues as planned. 

Keep Up Your Oral Hygiene Routine

Kahan Orthodontics wants you to enjoy some candy this Halloween, but you should definitely not go overboard. It’s essential to keep up your oral hygiene routine, especially if you are consuming higher amounts of sugar than normal. Remember to brush twice daily and floss nightly as your dentist recommends. This is crucial to ensure that you are avoiding decay and cavities while undergoing orthodontic care. 

Schedule Your Next Appointment With Kahan Orthodontics!

If you have questions or concerns about your braces this Halloween, or any time of the year, please never hesitate to contact our orthodontic team at Kahan Orthodontics. We conveniently serve the entire Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Encino, and west Los Angeles area. To schedule your next appointment, feel free to call one of our offices directly or request a visit online. We can’t wait to see you and your orthodontic progress!