One of the best parts of Valentine’s Day is the candy! But if you wear braces, you might feel a little left out of the fun.
While some candy for orthodontic patients is better left on store shelves, there are a few options you can try as long as you always do your part to keep your teeth clean and to listen to our dentists in Boca Raton, FL!
Today, our team at Smiles by Dr. W & Dr. R want to give you some helpful tips for protecting your braces and your teeth during this especially sweet holiday.
Sweet: Cookies & Cupcakes
Probably your safest bet for sweet Valentine treats is a soft, freshly-baked cookie or cupcake. Aside from the sugar itself, these are softer options that don’t pose much of a threat in terms of damage to your teeth or braces.
Again, sugar isn’t good for your teeth, so don’t let that be your permission to let your sweet tooth run amok!
Bittersweet: Assorted Chocolates
Probably the most popular way to show someone you care on Valentine’s Day is with a heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates.
But like Forrest Gump says, you never know what you’re going to get!
As long as the chocolate candy doesn’t come with a gooey, caramel or hard nut or toffee center, you’re probably okay having a couple of these sweet treats, especially if you break it up into even smaller pieces to make it safer to indulge.
Bittersweet: Soft Candies
While soft candy is acceptable every once in a while, that doesn’t mean all soft candies should be treated equally!
That’s because soft can also mean sticky and gooey. This is wear you run into trouble if you’re wearing braces. That kind of substance is already hard to clean from your teeth, imagine how tough it is to dislodge from your braces!
Bitter: Candy Hearts & Suckers
When it comes to sugar and what makes it so bad for teeth has as much to do with amount as duration of exposure.
In other words, it’s just as bad to drink three sodas in a day really quickly each time as it would be to sip on one soda all day long.
That’s why candy conversation hearts and Valentine suckers should be avoided. When you suck on hard candy over an extended period of time, you’re exposing your teeth to sugar for far longer than you should.
And don’t think that simply crunching on hard candy to avoid that is a wise alternative. That puts your teeth and your braces at risk, as well, because you could damage either while biting down.
Valentine’s Day Can Still Be Sweet With Braces
The most important point in any sort of dietary restrictions while wearing braces is to avoid potential damage to your wires, brackets, or your teeth.
This doesn’t mean locking yourself in your room to avoid the season of love!
It just means practicing caution with sweets and diligence with your oral hygiene routine.
You can take extra care of your teeth and braces by rinsing your mouth with water after eating candy to wash away the sugary residue and particles left behind.
The best advice we can give on this issue is to always follow the recommendations and instructions given you by our experienced dentists, Dr. Wohlgemuth and Dr. Rothstein.
Schedule An Appointment
Like any of life’s decadent delights, any kind of sugary treat is best enjoyed in moderation. But when it comes to wearing braces, there are certain restrictions in place to keep your orthodontic treatment and your teeth safe.
That doesn’t mean just because you or your child is wearing braces that you have to steer completely clear of sweet treats on Valentine’s Day.
Today’s blog offers some practical advice about whether certain Valentines are bitter or sweet for braces wearers, but you should never use it as permission to stray from the instructions of our highly-skilled dentists at Smiles by Dr. W & Dr. R. They can direct you about specific ways to protect your orthodontia.
If you have any specific questions or concerns, or you wish to schedule an appointment, call our Boca Raton, FL dental office today at 561-327-6775 or fill out our convenient online form.
