Halloween is the one holiday when kids are given a free pass to enjoy all types of sweet, gooey, and sticky treats. However, many types of Halloween goodies can play some ghoulish tricks on kids wearing braces. That’s why we’d like to remind all of you wearing braces that it’s super important to steer clear of any Halloween treats that can do some real damage to your braces.
The Scary Truth About Braces & Halloween Goodies
Many of the goodies kids get when out trick-or-treating can loosen, bend, and break the metal brackets and wires covering the teeth. For instance, just one bite of a caramel apple can loosen the brackets on front teeth and bend or break the archwire that runs through the brackets. Plus, there are so many tiny nooks and crannies around braces where bits of sticky treats can gather to raise the risk of tooth decay.
But this doesn’t mean that kids wearing braces must go treat-free during the fun Halloween season! To save the day, your friendly Valencia orthodontist and her team have put together the following recipes for Halloween that are completely safe to eat when wearing braces.
Our Favorite Braces-Friendly Halloween Snacks
Tangerine Pumpkins
With Fall here, it’s no surprise to see a pumpkin on every porch, window, or driveway. Especially when you go to the supermarket, they even have a diverse range of pumpkin flavored foods and drinks. Here is a healthy and easy-to-make spin on our favorite Fall item:
Ingredients:
- 1 stalk of celery
- 4 tangerines
Directions:
- Peel the tangerines (feel free to remove as much as the white covering as possible)
- Cut the celery lengthwise into thirds and then cut across into ½ inch pieces
- Place the celery piece as stems to the peeled tangerines to make them appear like pumpkins
- You can use bits of the celery leaves as pumpkins leaves for an added touch
Banana Ghosts
This spooky snack does not only look good, but it’s good for you! Instead of picking up that piece of chocolate or strawberry flavored candy, we recommend this healthy option that’s fun and easy to make.
Ingredients:
- 4 bananas
- 24 mini or regular sized chocolate chips
Directions:
- Peel the bananas and cut them in half
- Place the cut portion of the banana face down, so that it’s standing up
- Insert the pointed piece of the 2 chocolate chips into the banana to make the ghost’s eyes/li>
- Repeat for the large chocolate chip to make the ghost’s mouth
Contact Your Valencia Braces Experts!
Dr. Randolph and her team want all our patients to enjoy Halloween, regardless if they’re improving their smiles with Valencia Invisalign or braces! We hope many of you will try these recipes that even non-braces wearers are sure to enjoy! We’re always more than happy to speak with you so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions about your treatment or what foods you shouldn’t eat while wearing braces!