Halloween Candy Braces Care - Braces Las Vegas

Most of us are probably excited for Halloween right about now, but as an orthodontist in Las Vegas; I wanted to personally remind you how to have a sticky-free Halloween this year.

Some Candies are Worse than Others

First off, you or your children do not have to give up candy completely, but rather take steps in trying to minimize the amount of harm done. The fact of the matter is that there are a wide variety of candy products on the market with some being worse than others.

Icky Sticky

If you’re thinking about putting any sticky candies into your mouth, or candies that are gooey then you may want to reconsider this and evaluate the positives and negatives.

Any candies with caramel, taffy, and others always pose the possibility of breaking one of your brackets off directly from your teeth. The reason is because when the candy sticks to the teeth, it adds extra pressure to your teeth every time you open and close your mouth. If the situation is worse enough, then the pressure will eventually pull a bracket right off. Beware!

Hard Times

If it’s hard, then be careful. Every candy can be considered “hard” to a certain degree but we’re referring to actual hard candies such as jawbreakers or anything that must be sucked on for a period of time before you have any chance at biting down. Biting down too forcefully on hard candies may result in damaged braces. It’s not worth it!

Quick tip: suck on any hard candies instead of biting down, that way you still enjoy your candy! 

It's Not Just About Candy

Lastly, it’s not necessarily all about what type of candy you’re consuming, but rather how frequently you’re consuming it. At the end day, we can all agree that candy is over 50% sugar. Unfortunately, sugar causes our mouth to become an acidic environment that is perfect for initiating tooth decay.

Quick tip: it’s actually better to eat more candy at once rather than stringing it out for the whole day. When you string candy out in small pieces throughout the day, you constantly expose your mouth to an acidic environment and that isn’t good.

If you’re going to partake in the candy tradition this Halloween, then don’t forget to compensate for this by putting extra effort into brushing and flossing your teeth. Make absolutely sure to remove any candy particles that are caught between your teeth and in your braces.

Happy Halloween from your braces orthodontist in Las Vegas!

5 Things To Consider Avoiding With Braces – Braces Las Vegas

Braces are a great temporary addition to your mouth for a variety of reasons – the largest reason being because they improve the aesthetics of your teeth by straightening them. Studies have actually shown that having straighter teeth does matter in our society. Unfortunately, braces have a downside as well (but remember it’s only temporary!). We have compiled a list for you of 8 things you should consider avoiding with braces.

1. Certain Foods

Foods can be a tricky subject for those with braces, especially to anyone new. You can check out our post on foods to avoid with braces, but there’s one in particular: gum. If you chew gum with braces, you’ll find yourself trying to dig it out piece by piece. All it takes is one bad experience and you will probably never chew gum with braces again.

Apples also pose another problem. They aren’t sticky, but biting into an apple with braces could potentially cause damage to the brackets. If you’re going to eat an apple, then cut it into smaller pieces and chew slowly.

2. Sports

Unless you’re committed to a team, you should probably try to avoid playing sports while you straighten out your teeth. Orthodontic mouth guards do exist to help, but sports and braces generally just do not mix.

3. Red Bands

A lot of people find fun in customizing the color corrective bands they want to use with their braces. Our suggestion is to avoid the color red simply because people have reported that it makes their mouths appear as if they were bleeding – making for a highly unattractive appearance.

4. Playing With Large Dogs

A lot of us absolutely love dogs (we do!), but sometimes playing with a large dog isn’t in the best of our interests. Large dogs may get too excited and jump onto you – sometimes into your face – accidentally, causing damage to your orthodontic braces.

5. Certain Drinks

We also offer a post on drinks to avoid with braces, but the one drink you should consider dropping – both for braces and for your oral health – is soda. The chemicals in most sodas can eat away at your teeth and your orthodontic appliances. It’s really just best to avoid soda altogether.

*This post is meant for those with traditional metal braces. Those with Invisalign® braces do not experience the same problems.