Braces-wearers are intimately familiar with restrictions, but Halloween is one time of year when people of all ages want to let loose and enjoy a fun celebration – braces or no braces. As it turns out, orthodontic treatment doesn’t have to get in the way of a good time. Halloween and braces can work together, if you know the secrets to getting along.
Eat the right kind of sweets.
Everyone has a different sweet tooth. Hopefully, braces-wearers are drawn to chocolate. Sweets like solid chocolate bars and peanut butter cups are soft and easy for dental hardware to tolerate. While gummy, chewy, sticky, and hard candies will be everywhere on Halloween, do your best to abstain. Chocolate is the kindest kind of candy to your orthodontics.
Chocolate is also better for your teeth in general than other types of candy because it doesn’t cling to the teeth like sticky candy or hang around for too long like the sugar in a hard candy. Chocolate is easily washed away with water, so you don’t have to feel bad about every last, delicious bite.
Choose Invisalign.
If you’re a patient who is eligible for Invisalign, you must decide if that orthodontic treatment is right for you or if you’re better off with conventional braces. Braces in all their forms are a commitment. Invisalign requires you to be responsible about when you wear the aligners and how you take care of them. Metal or clear braces are simply always present, though you’re still required to carefully maintain them.
When you think about Halloween and the food traditions that surround this holiday and so many holidays, Invisalign may be the better choice. You don’t have any food restrictions and you can enjoy your meals and sweets fully.
Be prepared to clean up.
Whatever kind of sweets you eat on October 31, be prepared to clean up the mess that sugar leaves behind. It’s not only necessary to meticulously clean through the wires and brackets, your teeth require a good flossing and brushing too. This rule also applies to Invisalign wearers. You may not be restricted about the type of candy you can eat like the wearers of conventional braces, but it’s essential that you clean your teeth carefully before popping your invisible aligners snugly back in place.
Go hocus pocus on your haul.
No one wants to feel deprived on Halloween. That glut of candy that comes in the door – whether you buy it or your kids get it from trick or treating – is hard to resist. So don’t resist it. Pig out on a pile of candy in one evening, then don’t touch it again. Not only will this act staunch your craving (and maybe give you an upset stomach), it will expose your teeth to a ton of sugar all at one time – so you can then clean it off all at one time.
Snacking on candy throughout the day isn’t kind to your braces, even though it might feel like you’re being respectful of your waistline. Tiny treats here and there are simply ongoing exposure to sugar and that’s not good for your braces or your teeth. Dig in, live it up, then clean your teeth well.
Ask all your spooky questions about braces, whether you’re wearing them now or are about to become an orthodontic patient. Make an appointment with your Woodinville, Washington orthodontist Dr. Soleil Roberts to talk about Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, conventional braces, and more.