Little vampires aren’t the only ones concerned with bites this Halloween. Anyone with braces need to be careful when they bite into treats.
Your team at Warford Orthodontics would like to share these timely tips to help protect braces, aligners and other orthodontic “appliances” while protecting teeth from decay.
- Let sticky foods RIP. If it’s hard, sticky, chewy or crunchy, stay away! Avoid caramel, taffy, bubblegum, licorice, gummies or any snack that can damage brackets or wires. Also, be sure to say “boo” to hard-shelled peanut candies, nuts or nut-filled candies, taco chips and popcorn (especially unpopped kernels).
- Choose “spooktacularly” soft foods. Opt for soft chocolates, peppermint patties, peanut butter cups or other melt-in-your-mouth varieties. Read the directions on how to use “suckers”, don’t chomp on them. “Jaw breakers” are an obvious no-no!
- Dare to take extra care. Sweets can cause cavities, which is why brushing and flossing are even more important than ever during the Halloween season. Orthodontic Patients should be especially vigilant about brushing and flossing immediately after eating sugary or starchy foods.
- Commit to oral health. Deciding to avoid hard and chewy sweets before the Halloween season increases your rate of success – and reduces the likelihood that you’ll break your braces and have unexpected visits and discomfort from poking wires.
- ”Set yourself up for success. Dr. John encourages parents to keep acceptable treats on hand to substitute for “off limits” candies for trick-or-treating. To help you out, we are providing you with some orthodontic-friendly recipes you can use at parties or just to have a frightfully fun treat (see below). Let us know which ones are your favorites!!
Being careful with foods while you have orthodontic appliances in place is a small sacrifice to pay for a healthy, beautiful smile that’s always worth it in the end! Dr. John says “We want kids to have fun on Halloween, there’s no need to feel left out. Patients are free to enjoy acceptable treats in moderation. The payoff is a fun Halloween that isn’t interrupted by broken braces and an emergency visit the next day.”
Printable orthodontic friendly recipes
If you do have an orthodontic emergency on one of the days our office is not open please know that we have someone available on-call Fri – Sun, 9am-4pm. You can call or send a text to: 701-471-2539 and the assistant on-call will evaluate your needs and decide if you need to be seen right away or if waiting until the next workday will be okay depending on your comfort level, of course. The on-call assistant can consult with Dr. John 7 days a week if they need to so we can provide you the best advice for your holiday or weekend concerns.
