Avoid Halloween Nightmares for Kids with Braces

Halloween is one of our kids’ most favorite holidays, they get to play dress up, and eat candy in quantities massive enough to make a Conehead jealous.

What we often forget to realize when preaching optimal oral health, is that some kids have it tougher than others.

Sure it’s easy for parents to say, “don’t forget to brush your teeth!” But is it easy for our kids that wear braces to turn down these sugary treats, if only for one day?

Of course not, they have to deal with increased levels of candy craziness. Every other day of the year is a piece of cake for the braces wearer.

Halloween on the other hand, now that’s a challenging day for our kids out there with braces standing in the way of confectionery indulgence and the tacky toothsome treats so readily available.

Best Halloween Treats for Kids with Braces

Hard candies, chewy taffy, even hard pretzels can wreck your child’s braces.

Do you want to pay for braces more than once?
Would your child prefer a longer sentence in their braces?

Of course, Halloween does not have to be completely treat-less.

Here’s some trick or treating braces-friendly recipes straight from the mouths at braces.org:

Mummy Pizza Biscuits
Scary Skull & Ghastly Ghost Cookies
Summer Corn-Tomato-Basil Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Farm Stand Frittata
Spooky Spider Web Bean Dip

Braces-friendly Halloween treats can help orthodontic patients enjoy the “spook-ta-cular” holiday.

For example, plain chocolate candy is okay, provided your child remembers to brush and floss afterwards.

Bobbing for apples as well as caramel apples are not recommended for orthodontic patients…however, patients can enjoy thinly sliced apples, dipped in yogurt or creamy chocolate sauce.

What Halloween Candy to Avoid for Kids with Braces?

“If it’s sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy, it’s a food that anyone wearing braces or retainers should avoid,” says Dr. Lee W. Graber, orthodontist and president of the American Association of Orthodontists.

The AAO urges patients to steer clear of the following Halloween treats, or recipes with these ingredients:

All hard candies
All chewy candies
Caramel
Nuts
Licorice
Taffy
Jelly beans
Hard pretzels
Bubblegum
Popcorn (including unpopped kernels)
Taco chips
Ice

Of course, Halloween does not have to be completely treat-less.

Here’s some trick or treating braces-friendly recipes straight from the mouths at braces.org:

Mummy Pizza Biscuits
Scary Skull & Ghastly Ghost Cookies
Summer Corn-Tomato-Basil Orzo Salad with Shrimp
Farm Stand Frittata
Spooky Spider Web Bean Dip

Braces-friendly Halloween treats can help orthodontic patients enjoy the “spook-ta-cular” holiday.

For example, plain chocolate candy is okay, provided the orthodontic patient remembers to brush and floss afterwards.

Bobbing for apples as well as caramel apples are not recommended for orthodontic patients…however, patients can enjoy thinly sliced apples, dipped in yogurt or creamy chocolate sauce.

Orthodontists suggest looking for foods that are soft, such as soft chocolate that can melt in one’s mouth, not in their hands…or the two great tastes that go great together; peanut butter cups.

Overall, candies that aren’t sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy are generally acceptable.

Good luck finding some of those!

And when you need to get your child in for a teeth cleaning & checkup before the Holiday season rush, just give us a ring.

Call Us Today at (469) 458-2035 to Schedule Your Appointment!