With Halloween just over two weeks away it’s very important not to forget your oral hygiene and brace care. For children with a brace or dental appliance I’m sure all they are thinking about right now is what costume they are going to wear and how many sweets they are going to get and eat. We always tell our patients and parents at the start of treatment what foods to avoid as they can cause the brace to come loose or brake. Now most of these foods to avoid are hard and sticky sweets and of course patients will have more of these then usual with it being Halloween.
Foods to avoid:
- Caramel
- Toffee
- Milky Moos
- Starburst
- Fruit gums
- Hard sweets
- Gummy bears
- Skittles
- Mints
- Nuts
- Popcorn
- Apples
- Sugary cookies/cakes
- Fizzy drinks
Now I know at Halloween it is very difficult to avoid these foods but if you are going to have some Halloween sweets or a fizzy drink its best to have it as a small treat just after a meal time. It’s advised not to be grazing on sweets or slipping on fizzy drinks throughout the day as this puts your teeth under a constant sugar attack with no chance to recover. Its best to clean the brace after meal times using a soft tooth brush, interdental brushes and fluoride mouthwash. This takes away any plaque and also removes any sticky sweets or food from around the teeth and brace. If these are not removed daily this can cause gingivitis (swelling and bleeding of the gums) and can cause white spots to form on the teeth that cannot be removed by brushing and this is called Decalcification which is early decay on the teeth.
We would advised to avoid hard sticky sweets, fizzy drinks or chocolate but IF you are having some then:
- Have it as a treat just after a meal time
- Don’t bite down into the hard sweet or chocolate let it melt in your mouth
- For fizzy drinks drink it with a meal and/or after a meal and finish it don’t sip on it throughout the day
- Clean your teeth and brace after with a soft tooth brush, interdental brushes and fluoride mouthwash
If you are having popcorn be careful not to bite down on the popcorn that hasn’t fully popped that still has a bit of the Kernel shell as this can cause the brace to become loose or brake.
Some people give out apples for Halloween so if you are having one then make sure to cut it up into bite size pieces.
If you do notice the brace becoming loose or broken its best to get it fixed before your next appointment so don’t hesitate to give us a call 01 8107622
