With Halloween right around the corner, many parents are asking — what candies are safe for my child’s braces? Reuland & Barnhart Orthodontics is here to help you enjoy the full trick-or-treating experience, without an emergency trip to the orthodontist. Below is a list of all our favorite braces-friendly candies, as well as a list of which candy to avoid until the braces come off.
Braces-Friendly Halloween Candy
Good news! Some of the most popular Halloween sweets are Dr. Reuland, Dr. Barnhart approved!
Love those peanut butter cups? You can eat them with braces. Prefer plain chocolate bars? No problem!
Here’s a list of the treats that you CAN eat with braces:
- Reese’s peanut butter cups
- Plain M&Ms
- Reese’s Pieces
- KitKats
- Chocolate bars (no nuts)
- 3 Musketeers and other soft chocolate-only bars
- Marshmallows
- Soft cookies (no nuts)
- Ritz Bits mini crackers
- Cheez-It mini crackers
- Cheese puffs
While it’s OK to eat these treats, remind your child to brush and floss properly afterward to keep their treatment fully on track!
Halloween Candy to Avoid With Braces
There are plenty of delicious treats to enjoy with braces, but there are some candies and snacks that can cause severe damage to your braces. Sticky foods can get in between your child’s braces and lead to tooth decay. They can also pull off wires, metal brackets, or even ceramic brackets. Hard foods such as nuts or hard candies can break wires or pop brackets. Any of these problems could mean an emergency visit to your orthodontist.
If your child has braces, these are the candies and treats you want to avoid this Halloween:
- Candy or chocolate with nuts (Snickers, Mounds, etc.)
- Hard candies (Nerds, Jolly Ranchers, Butterscotch, Peppermints)
- Suckers
- Candy corn and jelly beans
- Jelly candies (Dots, Swedish Fish, Gummy anything)
- Taffy
- Chewy candies (Tootsie Rolls, Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies)
- Caramels (including Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies, Milk Duds)
- Caramel or candy apples
- Jerky
- Doritos or any hard, crunchy chips
- Popcorn and popcorn balls
- Nuts
- Gum
Rule of thumb: If it’s sticky, chewy, or hard, it’s best to avoid them. Otherwise, we may be seeing you sooner than you think!
Most importantly, have a safe and happy Halloween!
