Halloween Treats for Kids with Braces in Long Beach
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Halloween Treats for Kids with Braces in Long Beach

Kids (and the young at heart) all love Halloween but the prospect of facing Halloween while wearing braces can be worrying for kids, not to mention their parents. There is no need to panic that your child will have no options or might risk damaging their braces.

Halloween fun is not off-limits for kids who are wearing braces this year. They just need to be careful what treats they eat. This article will help show you what to do to make sure your child with braces still has a spooktacular Halloween.

Can My Kid with Braces Still Enjoy Any Halloween Candy?

Yes! Kids with braces can enjoy Halloween treats along with their peers. If your child has Invisalign® clear aligners, you are pretty much good to go. If your child has traditional metal braces or porcelain ceramic braces, you will need to make some adjustments to the treats they can eat safely, but they can still have plenty of candy. They do not have to be sidelined.

What Are Some Good Halloween Treats for Kids with Braces?

Think soft and non-gooey when it comes to Halloween treats for your child who has braces. The best type of candy for your child is going to be chocolate. Just make sure that it does not have any nuts or caramel. Plain milk or dark chocolate is best, but your child can also have some of the more popular candies.

Good choices include Kit Kats, (Plain) M&Ms, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s Kisses, Hershey’s Bars, Oreos, Reese’s Pieces, and 3 Musketeers Bars. Any generic chocolate bar will be fine as well, again, as long as it is free from caramel and nuts.

Cookies without caramel, nuts, or other crunchy add-ins are also fine for your child. He or she can eat cupcakes, cakes, brownies, and blondies as well. Ice cream and any soft, non-gooey pastries are also safe to eat with braces. Finally, while it may not be your child’s first choice, fresh fruit is always acceptable. Just slice fruits such as apples first.

Are There Any Special Precautions to Take With Halloween Treats for Kids With Braces?

If your child has Invisalign® clear aligners, you just need to remind him or her to take out the aligner before eating and be sure to brush before bed. If your child has metal or porcelain ceramic braces, however, you must be a bit more cautious.

Candy bars can damage the braces on your child’s front teeth when he or she bites into them, so try to break full-size bars into smaller pieces first. Check your child’s treat bucket on Halloween before letting him or her indulge and remove everything that can damage braces. Look out for hard candies in particular.

Encourage your child to brush especially carefully and floss well before bed on Halloween or after pre-Halloween parties. The sugar from the candy will stick to the teeth and braces and can lead to dental problems. You want to remove it before bed, so it does not sit there all night breeding the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

What Halloween Treats Should Be Avoided by Kids with Braces?

The most important thing to avoid is anything hard. Hard candies have the potential to both crack teeth and damage braces. This includes jawbreakers, the old-fashioned hard candies, and anything with nuts or crunchy add-ins.

Your child also needs to avoid anything gooey or sticky. This means nothing with caramel (including caramel apples), jellybeans, popcorn balls, taffy, bubblegum, and licorice. All of these stick to the teeth and braces and can damage braces or cause tooth decay.

Sour candies should be avoided due to the extra acidity that comes with the sour taste. Avoid lollipops and powdered candies as they are essentially pure sugar. Sucking on a lollipop is no different from holding sugar water in your mouth for ten minutes and they can stick to or break braces if your child chews on them.

Finally, your child must still avoid chewy treats such as popcorn. These are generally sticky and hard -a bad combination when your child has braces.

Avoid these treats and your child should be fine. Indulging on Halloween is not worth a trip to the Long Beach office the next day for an emergency repair!

What Should I Do if My Child with Braces Damages Them on Halloween?

Well, first of all, do not panic! If there is no damage to the underlying teeth, you can call us the next day and we will get you in as soon as possible to get the braces repaired. Broken or bent wires and broken brackets need to be repaired but they are not a serious emergency. We try to reserve appointments for emergency treatment every day.

As always, if there is a serious dental injury, such as a tooth getting knocked out, severe bleeding, or any chance of a jaw or head injury, do not wait to see us the next morning. Go straight to your local emergency room for proper medical treatment.

How Worried Should I Be About My Child’s Dental Health on Halloween?

As long as your child sticks to eating braces-friendly treats, you do not need to worry. Halloween only comes once a year and there is only so much long-term damage that can come from a single night of indulgence. If your child brushes and flosses before bed on Halloween, you can even avoid that. Then you can start your usual diet and routine over on November 1 with a clean conscience.

Want To Have a Better Smile?

If you would like to straighten your teeth or your child’s, come see us at Orthodontics of Long Beach. We provide traditional metal braces, porcelain ceramic braces, and Invisalign® for both children and adults. We offer flexible appointment times and have a variety of payment plans and financing options to help you get the care you need.

Call Orthodontics of Long Beach at 562-667-2973 today to schedule your first appointment!

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