What Candy Can You Eat with Braces | Braces-Friendly Sweets

Key Takeaways

Choose Soft Candies: Opt for candies that melt easily and don’t stick to your teeth, such as plain chocolates and soft cookies. These are less likely to damage your braces or contribute to tooth decay.
Avoid Hard, Sticky, and Chewy Candies: Candies like hard candies, sticky caramels, and chewy gummies should be avoided as they can break or dislodge braces and increase the risk of dental issues.
Maintain Oral Hygiene: It’s crucial to brush and floss thoroughly after consuming sweets to prevent plaque buildup and maintain overall oral health.
Halloween Precautions: During Halloween, specifically avoid treats like nuts, popcorn, and any candies that are hard, sticky, or chewy to protect your orthodontic appliances.
Understand the Risks: Consuming sugary and acidic candies can lead to tooth decay, enamel erosion, and potentially urgent dental issues. Additionally, candies can dislodge or damage dental work like braces and fillings.
Impact of Sugar: Sugar contributes significantly to plaque and tartar buildup around braces, increasing the risk of cavities and gum disease. Minimizing sugar intake and maintaining strict oral hygiene are essential for those with braces.

Can You Eat Candy with Braces?

Yes, you can eat candy with braces, but it’s important to choose wisely. Soft candies that melt easily and don’t stick to your teeth are safer options.

Avoid candies that are hard, sticky, or chewy, as they can damage your braces and increase the risk of tooth decay. Always brush and floss thoroughly after eating sweets to maintain good oral health.

Here Are the Best Candies to Eat When You Have Braces

The best candies to eat when you have braces are those that are less likely to cause damage to the orthodontic appliances. Here are some safe options:

Chocolate: Soft chocolates, especially those without nuts or caramel, are generally safe because they melt in your mouth and are less likely to stick to braces.
Marshmallows: These are soft and easy on braces, making them a good choice for a sweet treat.
Peanut Butter Cups: The smooth peanut butter and chocolate combination is usually soft enough to not cause problems.
Gelatin Desserts: These are soft and easy to eat without stressing the braces.
Soft Cookies: As long as they aren’t loaded with hard nuts or chocolate chunks, soft cookies can be a good sweet treat.

Halloween Treats to Avoid With Braces

During Halloween, if you have braces, you should avoid certain treats to protect your orthodontic work. Here’s what to steer clear of:

Hard candies: These can break or damage the wires and brackets of your braces.
Sticky candies: Treats like caramel, taffy, and gummy candies can get stuck in braces and pull on them, potentially causing damage.
Chewy candies: These can bend wires or even pull brackets off your teeth.
Nuts and popcorn: These hard and crunchy snacks can break braces and pose a risk to dental health.

Why Is It Important to Avoid Certain Candy While Wearing Braces?

You need to avoid certain types of candy due to several reasons:

Prevents Damage to Braces: Hard, sticky, or chewy candies can get stuck in your braces, and break or dislodge the brackets and wires. This damage can lead to discomfort and requires additional orthodontist appointments for repairs, which might prolong the treatment time.
Reduces Risk of Decay: Candy often contains high levels of sugar. When you have braces, it’s more challenging to clean your teeth thoroughly. Sticky and chewy candies cling to the teeth and braces, increasing the risk of plaque buildup and tooth decay.
Maintains Oral Health: Keeping braces and teeth clean is more difficult when consuming problematic candies. Good oral hygiene is vital to prevent issues like cavities and gum disease, especially during orthodontic treatment.

The Damage Caused by Candy

Candy, particularly types high in sugar and acidic content, can cause significant damage to dental health. Here are the primary ways candy can be harmful:

Tooth Decay: Candy contains sugar that bacteria in the mouth feed on, producing acids that attack tooth enamel. This process can lead to cavities.
Enamel Erosion: Sour candies are often highly acidic. Regular consumption can erode tooth enamel, the hard outer surface of teeth, making them more susceptible to decay and sensitivity.
Dental Emergencies: Hard candies can lead to cracked or chipped teeth, requiring urgent dental care.
Complications with Dental Work: For those with dental appliances like braces or fillings, sticky and hard candies can dislodge or damage these structures, complicating ongoing dental treatments.

Learn More About the Impact of Sugar on Braces

Sugar can have a profound impact on dental health, especially when wearing braces. Here’s how sugar affects braces and overall oral health:

Increased Risk of Plaque and Tartar: Sugar acts as a primary food source for bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria produce plaque—a sticky film that can accumulate around the brackets and wires of braces. If not removed, plaque can harden into tartar, which is difficult to clean and can lead to gum disease.
Higher Likelihood of Cavities: With braces, there are more nooks and crannies where food particles, including sugar, can get trapped. This creates ideal conditions for cavity-forming bacteria to thrive. The presence of braces can make it more challenging to thoroughly clean the teeth, increasing the risk of cavities.
Enamel Damage: Prolonged exposure to sugar increases the amount of acid in the mouth, which can erode tooth enamel. Weakened enamel is more susceptible to decay and sensitivity, especially problematic during orthodontic treatment.
Gum Issues: Excess sugar consumption can also contribute to gum inflammation and disease. Braces wearers are already more prone to gum problems due to difficulty in maintaining optimal oral hygiene.

FAQ on What Candy Can You Eat with Braces

What sweets can you eat with braces?

With braces, you can enjoy soft sweets that don’t pose a risk to your dental appliances. Opt for plain chocolates, soft cookies, and smooth peanut butter cups, which are gentle on braces. Always steer clear of hard, sticky, and chewy sweets like caramels or gummies, as they can damage your braces and lead to dental issues.

Can I eat Snickers with braces?

It’s best to avoid Snickers if you have braces. Snickers contain caramel and nuts, which are sticky and hard. These can pull on or break the wires and brackets of your braces, potentially causing damage that requires additional orthodontic repair and can prolong your treatment.

What junk food can you eat with braces?

When you have braces, you can safely enjoy softer junk foods that are gentle on your orthodontic appliances. You can indulge in soft pizza without hard crusts, hamburgers without crunchy toppings, and ice cream. It’s important to avoid hard, sticky, or overly crunchy snacks like hard pretzels, popcorn, and sticky candy bars.

Can I have starburst with braces?

It’s best to avoid Starburst if you have braces. Starburst candies are very sticky and chewy, which can easily get caught in the brackets and wires. This can pull on the braces, potentially damaging them and increasing the risk of dental issues like cavities. Opt for softer, less sticky treats that are safer for your orthodontic equipment.