Taking a Halloween break from otherwise healthy dental habits won’t harm your teeth as long as you return to healthy habits afterward and visit your dentist every six months for cleanings and checkups. As long as you visit the dentist at least twice a year for these checkups and cleanings, it’s fine to indulge a bit around Halloween. If you have dental braces, certain candies have the potential to destroy your dental work. The following candies have a history of wreaking havoc on orthodontics:
LAFFYTAFFY® WILL WRECK YOUR BRACES
Laffy Taffy®–especially the big bars have a history of sticking to braces and popping off fillings. When Laffy Taffy® sticks to a bracket, there’s a significant chance that you’ll remove a bracket in the process of getting the Laffy Taffy® unstuck. Any candy that is chewy, sticky, and gummy should be avoided entirely if you have braces.
BUBBLE GUM AND BLOW POPS®
What’s worse for your teeth than crunching on a lollipop? Following it up with some good old fashioned chewing gum. Some experts say that chewing sugar-free gum has the potential to keep your teeth healthier. Sugar-free gum can also alleviate the pain and discomfort caused by braces. However, other orthodontists believe that chewing gum with braces can actually bend the wire and lengthen the time you’ll need to wear your braces. All orthodontists agree that bubblegum should definitely be avoided if you have braces. The gum itself can get stuck on your brackets and the sugar can sneak its way into the gaps between your teeth and wires, leaving your mouth vulnerable to cavities and gum disease.
HARD CANDY
Hard candy won’t destroy your braces unless you crunch on it, but who doesn’t love crunching hard candy? Candy like Jolly Ranchers®, Dumdums®, Life Savers®, and jawbreakers are extremely hard on your braces if you crunch down on them. What candy’s the absolute worst? As we mentioned before, Blow Pops® are your dental braces’ worst nightmare. Not only do you have the constant temptation to bite through the hard outer shell, but bubble gum is waiting to stick to your braces immediately afterward. Even candy that is soft in the middle with a hard shell can also be bad for your braces. Skittles® Runts®, Sweettarts, and M&Ms® should be avoided if you have braces, as the shell could get wedged under your wire or pop off your brackets. This can require you to go and get orthodontic treatment rather than just brush your teeth.
GUMMY CANDY
Gummy candy, like gummy bears, gummy worms, and Sour Patch Kids®, and Pulparinroks®, are deceptively hard on your braces even though they feel easy to chew and less sticky than caramel or gum. Gummy candies can get stuck under your brackets, which can eventually lead to loose or broken brackets and, of course, cavities. Much like gum, the sugar in gummy candy can get stuck in hard-to-brush areas, putting your mouth at risk for tooth decay.
CARAMEL POPCORN WILL DESTROY YOUR BRACES
Popcorn is easier to chew than the majority of the candy on this list; however, it is also one of the worst treats for someone who has braces. Popcorn kernels can get stuck between your teeth and the wires of your braces, leading to severe tooth decay and possibly damaged wires and brackets. If you thought getting kernels out from between your teeth without braces was tough, imagine how hard it would be with brackets and wires blocking those hard-to-floss areas.
ORTHODONTICS IN JOHN’S CREEK GEORGIA
If Halloween candy is causing you to feel pain or discomfort near your braces, contact Ricci Orthodontics today by calling 678.932.0308. Our John’s Creek Georgia orthodontists will have your mouth looking and feeling its best.
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Originally Posted: https://www.ricciortho.com/orthodontics-blog/top-5-worst-candies-to-eat-with-braces/