Halloween treats to smile about
Trick or Treat, folks! It's that time of the year again. We hope you all gather heaps of goodies, and here's a little guide to help you know what's safe to eat in treatment, and what should be traded away.
Safe:
Chocolate
Any plain chocolate is fine. Most candy bars are okay too, especially in 'fun sizes.' If you are lucky enough to score some full-size bars, try to break them into smaller bites; don't bite into them. Be extra careful with Snickers bars. It's very easy for a yummy caramel-covered peanut to pop off a bracket.
Munchies
Bite-size pretzels are fine. So are cookies and crackers.
Apple treats
While candy or caramel apples are NOT okay on the stick, you can enjoy them cut into bite-size pieces. You can even take a plain apple, slice it up and drizzle it with caramel and nuts for the same yummy treat without the mess or the extra trips to the orthodontist!
Avoid:
Butterfingers
Butterfingers in any size are delicious but VERY crunchy and likely to pop off a bracket.
Frozen chocolate
Avoid any candy bar if it's been in the freezer.
Chewy candy
Hard caramels, Tootsie Rolls, Starbursts, Now & Laters, and other sticky treats are all TERRIBLE for your braces. Not only can they pull off a bracket, they can get wrapped up in your braces and be very hard to clean, causing cavities. Ew!
Hard candies
This includes lollipops (with or without fillings) and any other hard, sugary candies.
Popcorn
Skip the popcorn ball. That's the perfect formula for random kernels that can break your braces, plus those little pieces are known to get caught between brackets and gum tissue and cause nasty infections. That's really scary, and not in the fun way!
And of course ...
No gum! But we know you already knew that.
Not sure of something? Use your best judgment. You can also check out our Braces Care guide.
Have fun and protect that smile this Halloween!
