Dr. McFarland knows that Halloween can be fun for you, but scary for your braces when candy is involved. It is important to know which candies can damage or break your braces hardware. After all, our goal is to keep you in braces for as little time as possible. Here are some helpful guidelines on what to treat yourself to and what to skip this Halloween.

WORST CANDY FOR BRACES

CHEWY CANDIES

Chewy candy can break or bend your braces… Starburst, Skittles, Airheads, jelly beans, Tootsie Rolls, gumdrops, and Laffy Taffy fit into this category.

CARAMEL

Caramel will get stuck in your braces and can tear brackets off your teeth… Hard and soft caramels, Werther's Originals, Sugar Babies, Heath and Skor fit into this category.

HARD CANDIES

Hard candies can break off your brackets, bend wires, stain elastics, and can cause tooth decay... Jawbreakers, Life Savers, Jolly Ranchers, butterscotch candies and any other hard candy you can think of fit into this category.

LICORICE

Licorice is bad for braces and can tear off brackets and bend wires. It also gets stuck in teeth easily, stains elastics, and contributes to tooth decay and bad breath... Red Vines, Twizzlers, and Good & Plenty fit into this category.

Nuts

Nuts can break a band or bracket if you bite into them the wrong way, so we recommend that you skip treats containing them ... Almond Joy, Snickers, Hershey’s with Almonds, Baby Ruth, Payday, and other nutty candies fit into this category.

BEST CANDY FOR BRACES

PURE CHOCOLATE

It’s easy to chew, won’t damage your braces, and is less likely to cause tooth decay than other kinds of candy. Just about any brand of chocolate is okay:

• Hershey’s bars
• Dove Chocolate
• Plain or Peanut Butter M&Ms
• Hershey’s Kisses
• York Patties
• Junior Mints
• Kit Kat
• Reeses
• Milky Way

COOKIES

This isn't technically a candy, but it makes for a delicious alternative!

Staying away from sticky and hard candies this Halloween is the name of the game. In addition to avoiding broken brackets and bent wires, we encourage you to brush and floss between teeth immediately after eating candy, including around brackets and at the gum line, as well as swishing water in your mouth--even “good” candy can cause cavities!

If you happen to damage your braces, give us a call at 972-221-2515 and we can help get your teeth all straightened out again.

And from everyone at McFarland Orthodontics, we hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!