Candy is one of the first things on every dentist’s list of culinary no-noes for patients with braces. Since many patients are younger, in middle or high school, they may want to keep eating candy despite these warnings. Braces can take months or even years to complete the treatment, so chances are high that most patients will have to endure at least one Halloween with their braces on.
Even if you or your child can’t avoid candy completely, the choice of candy that you eat while you wear braces can have a crucial impact on your treatment. Continue reading to learn what candy can you eat with braces and which kinds you should definitely avoid.
Want to find out if you or your child needs braces? Visit Reese Orthodontics in Charleston, SC for leading orthodontic care.
Foods to Avoid While Wearing Braces
When you first get your braces, your orthodontist will talk to you about the foods you should avoid. The reason these restrictions exist is to make your treatment smooth sailing. The foods they talk about will potentially bend or break your wires, dislodge your brackets, or get stuck under the braces and cause an unhealthy buildup of plaque.
Foods on the disclaimer list have traits in common. Most of them are either chewy, hard, crunchy, or sticky. It’s important to note that even healthy foods can damage your braces. Corn on the cob and whole apples, for instance, can bend or break your wires. Steak or bread that is too chewy should be cut and eaten with caution for the same reason.
Candy You Should Never Eat With Braces
We can apply this logic to different types of candy to see which ones are safe and which should be avoided. Note that while some candies are safer than others, eating any candy puts you at risk of trapping harmful sugars under your braces that can lead to plaque, cavities, and even tooth decay if you don’t compensate with thorough brushing and flossing.
Here is a list of the candies that you should avoid while wearing braces:
- Hard caramels like Milk Duds
- Taffy and other chewy candy like Starbursts and Tootsie rolls, including bubblegum
- Jawbreakers, Nerds, and other hard candies, including nuts
- Licorice, including Twizzlers, and any candy you have to bite and tear
All the candies listed above can damage your braces and should be avoided if you want to avoid painful broken wires, swallowed brackets, and emergency trips to the orthodontist during the week.
Can You Eat Sour Patch Kids and Other Chewy Candy With Braces?
You may be thinking that candies that seem soft and chewy should be fine, like Sourpatch Kids and Mike and Ike. However, these candies are some of the worst you can eat because they’re both chewy and sticky. They provide perfect opportunities to damage your braces.
When you bite down on a Sourpatch Kids candy, the candy sticks when you open your mouth again, pulling on your braces and potentially dislodging brackets and bending wires. Despite being small, the same rules apply to Sourpatch Kids as to bubblegum, taffy, and Tootsie Rolls. Anything chewy and sticky should be avoided for the duration of your treatment.
What Candy Can You Eat With Braces?
Thankfully, not all candy is off-limits while you’re wearing braces. Some of the best candies are safe in moderation, so long as you brush and floss to prevent the sugars that are in all candies from impacting your oral health.
Examples of candy that you can eat with braces include:
- Peanut butter cups like Reese’s
- KitKat bars
- Marshmallows
- Soft cookies and cakes
- Nougat candies like 3 Musketeers, so long as they don’t contain caramel
- Other chocolate, so long as it doesn’t crackle or contain nuts
Choose Reese Orthodontics
If you’re an adult who is considering braces, you need professional advice on your treatment and payment options. For orthodontic treatments in Charleston, SC, Reese Orthodontics offers the latest technology and treatment plans. Our advanced and comfortable orthodontic treatments can be customized to suit your needs. A consultation with Reese Orthodontics includes scans, a comprehensive exam, and a conversation with the orthodontist to discover which treatment options are right for you, and so they can answer questions such as “what candy can I eat with braces”.
Schedule an appointment with us today to stay ahead of your oral health and receive the best possible treatment in your area.
