The 4 Candies That Break Brackets (and What to Enjoy Instead)

Halloween is one of our favorite times of year at Meyer Orthodontics. Costumes, trick-or-treating, and yes, candy. We don't want anyone skipping the fun just because they have braces. We just want you to go in with a plan.

Every November we see a wave of loose brackets and bent wires, and nearly all of them come from the same handful of candies. A broken bracket usually means an extra visit, and sometimes it can slow down treatment. The good news is it's easy to avoid once you know what to watch for.

1. Hard Candy

Jolly Ranchers, jawbreakers, and lollipops are the biggest bracket breakers we see. When you bite down on something that doesn't give, all that force goes right to the bond holding the bracket on your tooth. Something has to give, and it's usually the bracket.

2. Caramels

Milk Duds, Sugar Daddies, and chewy caramels cause a different problem. They're sticky, so they grab onto brackets and wires and pull. That pulling can pop a bracket off or bend a wire out of shape.

3. Taffy and chewy candy

Starburst, Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Rolls, and Airheads work the same way caramel does. They also pack in around your brackets and are tough to brush out, which can leave white spots on your teeth once braces come off.

4. Nutty Bars and brittle

Snickers, Baby Ruth, Almond Joy, and peanut brittle combine sticky caramel with hard nuts. That's two problems in one bite. Brittle is basically hard candy with nuts added, so it's one to skip entirely.

What should you reach for:

Plenty of Halloween favorites are braces-friendly:

• Plain chocolate bars and Hershey's Kisses

• Peanut butter cups

• 3 Musketeers and other soft, melt-in-your-mouth bars

• Peppermint patties

• Soft cookies and brownies

Our rule of thumb: if it's soft and melts easily, you're probably in good shape. If it's hard, sticky, or crunchy, trade it in.

A few tips for the season

• Brush soon after treats. Sugar sitting around the brackets is what leads to white spots and cavities.

• Don't bite into anything hard. If you do have a piece of hard candy, let it dissolve.

• Keep treats to mealtimes instead of snacking all day.

• If something breaks, call us. Don't wait for your next appointment. Most issues are quick fixes, and we'd rather see you sooner than later.