Halloween means candy, whether you have kids or not. Maybe someone at your office has a bowl full of hard candy for the taking. Or you just might indulge in a bag or two of sugar and chocolate treats for your home. But people who wear braces are limited in what types of candy they can enjoy. Those wires and brackets can really get in the way of a good time. While no dentist condones overindulging in sweets, Invisalign certainly makes it easier for you to have a tasty snack or two on Halloween.
When you wear traditional braces, candy can destroy the metal work – which can mean costly and time-consuming repairs. Orthodontists have reported that the week after Halloween is one of the busiest because of dental injuries and damaged metal braces. Invisalign, however, guarantees that no Halloween candy will damage your orthodontia because you can remove your aligners before you eat any candy. Now, whether the candy you choose to eat will damage your teeth is another story…
Halloween Treats to Indulge In and Avoid
Tooth decay, chipped or broken teeth, and the destruction of previous dental work like fillings and crowns are the most commonly reported dental problems caused by Halloween candy. Take the proper precautions to protect your teeth so that your Invisalign aligners will have teeth to adhere to and straighten out the way they’re intended.
Here are some Halloween candy guidelines:
- Avoid sticky (taffy), chewy (caramel), crunchy (nuts and popcorn), or very hard sweets (peanut brittle) because they are more likely to pull out fillings and break teeth.
- Don’t bite down on lollipops or hard candy. In fact, these are two categories of sweets you may want to nix altogether whether you wear Invisalign, traditional braces, or nothing at all. Sucking on candy or a lolly for an extended period of time bathes your teeth in sugar, which creates a ripe pool for tooth decay to set in. If lollipops or hard candy are your weapon of choice, you should still remove your Invisalign aligners before eating this type of sweet.
- Chocolate is one of the better sweets for your teeth because it is less likely to coat your teeth, preventing an unhealthy environment from forming.
After chowing down on your Halloween snack, always brush and floss your teeth before putting your Invisalign aligners back in your mouth. If you can’t brush right away, at least swirl some water around in your mouth to rinse your teeth.
Clear, removable braces mean there are no food restrictions on Halloween or any time of year. Think you’re ready to straighten your teeth? Make your appointment for a consultation with Dr. Ken Cirka at Philadelphia Dentistry to find out if Invisalign suits your lifestyle.