Top 5 Candies to Avoid with Braces

This time, we’re looking at our top 5 candies to avoid with braces. When you wear braces, certain foods can get stuck in the wire and brackets.

In some cases, sticky, chewy, crunchy, and hard items will pull a wire, bracket, or band loose. Then, you may need an emergency visit to your orthodontist. 

If so, Dr. Potter Orthodontics is here for you with a schedule flexible to allow for emergencies. Please see more information about orthodontic emergencies here.

Although it’s important to avoid some foods and candies, you can still enjoy candy. For example, the American Association of Orthodontists suggests these treats in moderation:

• Soft chocolate (no nuts or caramel)
• KitKats
• Peanut butter cups
• 3 Musketeers
• Soft Cookies

Now, let’s look at our top 5 candies to avoid with braces. 

Top 5 Candies to Avoid with Braces – Number 1: Sour Candy

When it comes to candy, sour candy is particularly hard on a tooth’s enamel. Although their flavor is intense, the gritty texture on some sour candy’s surface is made of an acidic blend of ingredients like:

• citric acid
• malic acid
• tartaric acid
• fumaric acid
• lactic acid

Unfortunately, these acids can give some sour candies pH levels comparable to battery acid. Even so, some people find them addicting. For example, celebrity Chrissy Teigen reported that her tongue started peeling after eating too much sour candy.

When it comes to braces, chewy candies can coat your teeth. Then, it’s challenging to clean away the residue behind the braces thoroughly. Therefore, avoid things like Tootsie rolls, gummy bears, jellybeans, and taffy.

All considering, sour candies must be among the top 5 candies to avoid with braces.

Number 2: Gobstoppers and Hard Candies

Hard candies of all kinds are best avoided with braces. As they take time to dissolve, you expose your teeth to sugars, promoting tooth decay. However, it’s also tempting to bite down, which can damage braces.

Among the hard candies, Gobstoppers may rank among the worst. Also called jawbreakers, these hard candies take a long time to dissolve, depending on the kind and how big they are. It’s all part of the design, as they may reveal different bright colors as they slowly dissolve.

Needless to say, if you bite a jawbreaker, it can wreak havoc on your braces or teeth. Therefore, for those with braces, it’s best to avoid Gobstoppers or other hard candies altogether. 

Number 3: Caramel Apples

A longtime favorite for Halloween, homemade caramel apples are hard on teeth anytime. However, they are double trouble for anyone wearing braces.

Hard fruits and vegetables, in general, can damage braces. So, it’s better to slice and cook apples before you eat them. However, the caramel coating is sticky and will get stuck in braces. 

Put them both together, and caramel apples are bad news for braces.

Number 4: Peanut Brittle and Candied Nuts

Here we have another group of candies that combine hard, chewy, and sticky, and crunchy in one item. Thus, they are problematic if you wear braces.

Hard nuts of all kinds are best avoided with braces. Then, if you put a candy topping on the nuts, they become a double whammy for braces.

As noted previously, you may continue to enjoy soft peanut butter cups without nuts.

Number 5: Lollipops 

Lastly, lollipops of all kinds are bad news for braces. In particular, lollipops that have chewing gum centers are best avoided. Neither chewing gum nor hard candy is friendly to braces. As you eat them, they promote tooth decay and get stuck in the wires and brackets.

And, there you have our “top 5 candies to avoid with braces.” Although it’s not a complete list, you get the idea: Avoid hard, chewy, sticky, crunchy items. Also, it’s always best to limit sugary treats and drinks for occasional treats, with or without braces.

Although there are some foods to avoid with braces, in the end, it’s all worth it as you reveal your new smile. Then, you can enjoy all your favorites again. 

Dr. Jeff Potter and the team at Potter Orthodontics look forward to helping you get your dream smile! 

Call us anytime: (714) 528-4540.

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