We know you’re eager to tear into those Halloween treats you expect to collect on Oct. 31, but can you eat candy with braces? Some candy is fine with braces, but some of those treats could lead to an emergency visit to the orthodontist! Can you eat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with braces? Can you eat candy corn with braces? If you wear braces, there are some sweet treats you’ll need to avoid unless you want to end up with broken wires or popped brackets.
We love it when you pay a visit to Kanning Orthodontics, but we’d rather see you on your regular visits and not because of an emergency. So before you pull a no-no, here’s a list of the sweet treats you can enjoy and the tricky ones you’ll want to avoid.
What Are the Safe Candies to Eat When You Have Braces?
Who doesn’t love a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or a 3 Musketeers? If you do, good news! Those are safe to eat with braces! So are KitKat and York Peppermint Patties. You’ll need to be careful with plain or peanut butter M&Ms (no peanuts or pretzels!) and Reese’s Pieces, but the candy shell breaks easily and probably won’t be an issue. Just stay away from chocolate bars and candies with nuts or caramel (sorry, Snickers and Peanut M&Ms).
So, what candy can you eat with braces? Here are some of the best candies and treats you can eat with braces.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- 3 Musketeers and other soft chocolate-only bars
- Reese’s Pieces
- KitKats
- Plain or peanut butter M&Ms (NOT peanut M&Ms)
- Soft cookies (no nuts)
- Mounds
- Peppermint patties
- Ritz Bits mini crackers
- Cheez-It mini crackers
- Cheese puffs
These candies and snacks should be fine for your braces, but be careful with anything that feels chewy or sticky. Be sure to floss and brush your teeth afterward, too, or the sugars and acids can linger under your braces and on your teeth, which can lead to tooth decay. Also, be careful with candies with outer shells, such as M&Ms and Reese’s Pieces.
What Halloween Treats Should You Avoid With Braces?
While there are plenty of sweet treats to enjoy after Halloween, there are a few you want to avoid unless you want to visit Kanning Orthodontics sooner than expected. For those wearing braces, you’ll want to say “no way!” to anything sticky, chewy, or extra crunchy.
So, what candy can you not eat with braces? Trade with your kid brother or sister if you find these in your Halloween bag:
- Taffy
- Chewy candies (Tootsie Rolls, Chewy SweetTarts or Spree)
- Caramels (including Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies, Milk Duds)
- Caramel or candy apples
- Jerky (Beef, turkey)
- Candy or chocolate with nuts (Snickers, Almond Joy, etc.)
- Popcorn and popcorn balls
- Nuts
- Gum
- Hard candies (Nerds, Jolly Ranchers, Butterscotch, Peppermints)
- Suckers
- Candy corn and jelly beans
- Jelly candies (Dots, Swedish Fish, Gummy anything)
- Doritos or any hard, crunchy chips
Why avoid these? I mean, Tootsie Rolls? Snickers? SWEDISH FISH? Unfortunately, yes. Sticky or chewy foods can wrap around wires and pop brackets. Crunchy foods can break wires or loosen brackets.
What do you do with all that candy you can’t eat with braces? Start by contacting your local military office. They sometimes take donations to ship to troops overseas for a little pick-me-up. You can also consider donating it to local schools for treats.
Some candy can be eaten with braces, while others can mean an emergency run to Kanning Orthodontics. While we love having you here (and we hope you enjoy being here!), it can take time out of your day — and money out of Mom or Dad’s pocket. That’s not the kind of scary you want to enjoy this Halloween!