The Treats Are In The House… How to Avoid Orthodontic Emergencies?

Halloween is a fun time of year for kids of all ages, including adults.  Mom and dad also have a tendency to dip into the kids Halloween stash.   At Get It Straight we brace ourselves for a rise in visits to the orthodontist when sticky, chewy candies bend wires, pop off brackets or break appliances in children, teens, and adults who bend the rules.

Many types of candy can be harmful to braces that patients find in their candy bags.  Here are some tips and tricks for all family members to help keep emergency visits to the orthodontist down and still allow them to enjoy some of the treats.

There are lots of candies orthodontic patients can enjoy, but most should be avoided:

• Gummy bears, Sourpatch kids, tootsie rolls or pops, taffy, or licorice.  Anything that is sticky or chewy and can stick to appliances
• Hard candy of any kind.  Even if you suck on them, you may forget and crunch down bending a wire or breaking a bracket or appliance
• Anything with caramel, toffee, and/or nuts that is chewy like Snicker bars or Paydays
• Caramel apples

Safe Candy is usually made of chocolate:

• Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
• Hershey Bars or kisses

To keep all kids in the family happy… we suggest a candy swap.  Spread all the candy out on the floor.  Kids with braces can trade the no no candy for safe candy with their siblings.  Make is a family effort to support the child wearing braces.

However, no matter what, it is important to brush your teeth after eating any type of candy, because the sugars in the candies can lead to tooth decay.

Breaking appliances slows down treatment and is a great inconvience to the family, especially if you have to take a child out of school or take time off work to fix a problem that may have been avoided.   However, if you do have an orthodontic emergency visit our website for suggestions on how to temporarily handle the situation and call our office to schedule an appointment to repair appliances during patient hours.