Love is in the air! It’s Valentine’s season. Giving valentines and candy can be fun, but only if your valentine can enjoy the gift! Let’s talk about Valentine’s Day candies for people with braces to ensure that your special valentine can appreciate your gift.

Is Chewy Candy Bad?
When searching for Valentine’s Day candies for people with braces, one of the top types of candy you should avoid is chewy candy. Chewy candy not only sticks to teeth, but it also sticks to braces, and the consequences for people with braces can be pretty serious.

When chewy candy sticks to teeth, it’s bad news because it can leave behind a sugary residue, making them tough to clean and vulnerable to cavities. But when chewy candy sticks to braces, it can bend wires, pull bands and brackets loose, and cause extensive damage that can be time-consuming and costly to fix.

A visit to the orthodontist for repairs isn’t the greatest plan for a special date, so let’s talk about some safer Valentine’s candies for people with braces.

What are Safer Alternatives?
It may sound surprising that hard candies are a safer alternative for people with braces, but it’s true. The reason why people with braces are discouraged from eating hard or crunchy foods is because chewing them has the potential to break their braces, but sucking on a hard candy is unlikely to damage braces and is typically safe.

Chocolate is also a safer alternative for people with braces because chocolate melts in your mouth and is not sticky or chewy. Just make sure that the candy doesn’t have a filling that is chewy, crunchy, or contains hard nuts, as that could be damaging to braces. Try to avoid thick chocolate bars, as well, unless they will be broken into smaller pieces by hand before consuming.

As always, if you can find sugar-free options, those are ideal. If not, just try to enjoy the sweets in moderation and remember to brush well afterwards to help prevent the sugar from lingering and causing cavities.

Ask Your Orthodontist
Searching for Valentine’s Day candies for people with braces can feel complicated, but it’s well worth the effort to make the day special for someone you care about. When in doubt, ask your orthodontist! They’ll be happy to help you ensure that your Valentine’s Day is a safe and happy one.

Call our Fulshear Dental Office, to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.