2 Types of Brace-Friendly Candy to Enjoy on Valentine’s Day

A Board Certified Orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, Dr. Charles Gemmi has been a practicing orthodontist with Orthodontics Limited since 2000 and is a member of the teaching staff at Einstein Medical Center. Orthodontics Limited is a Diamond+ Provider of Invisalign in Philadelphia and Hatboro, PA.

Just because you have braces doesn’t mean that you have to miss out and eating delicious candy on Valentine’s Day. Whether you have a significant other who wants to give you a great treat on Valentine’s Day or you simply want to eat lots of sweets, don’t let your braces stop you.

Let’s take a look at the brace-friendly candy that you can eat on Valentine’s Day. That way, you can enjoy this holiday no matter what your relationship status is.

Suckers

We are starting with a controversial option. On many lists, lollipops and suckers will be on the list of candies you should avoid with braces. There is a safe way to eat these delicious hard candies, but you MUST resist the urge to bite them.

Suckers and lollipops are only safe to eat with braces if you just suck on them until they are gone. If you are going to want to bite and chew on them, it is simply better to avoid these candies. We still want to give you the option of eating those delicious heart suckers if you can resist biting them.

Chocolates

Chocolates are the best brace-friendly candy for Valentine’s Day. They are soft enough that they won’t damage your braces when you chew them and they aren’t sticky so they won’t get stuck to your braces the same way a chewy candy would.

Get yourself Hershey bars, Kisses, or even some boxes of chocolates. There are many tasty kinds of chocolate that are Valentine’s Day themed and are perfectly safe for braces.

However, there are a few kinds of chocolates that you will need to avoid. In many boxes of chocolates, there are pieces of chocolates that will have caramel or nuts in them. These should be avoided as they will damage your braces. Chocolates with fruity (and not sticky) fillings are safe to eat, but always check the box to avoid the chocolates that can damage your braces.

Worst Candy to Eat with Braces

It’s sad to say that there are more kinds of Valentine’s Day candies that you should avoid when you have braces than those that are safe. Some candies are terrible for braces and are highly likely to cause damage to them.

The worst kind of candy to eat with braces is sticky candies. Taffy, gum, Tootsie Rolls, Airheads, and more can get stuck in your braces and are difficult to remove. The stickiness of these candies can pull your brackets off and make them break. Even if your braces don’t break, the process of brushing off all the sticky residue so you don’t end up with cavities is not worth it.

Other bad candies to eat with braces include those sugar hearts. While these may seem safe to eat with braces, they are too crunchy and can get lodged underneath your braces. Sure, you can suck on them until they dissolve, but this isn’t something a lot of people want to do.

Even nerds aren’t safe to eat on Valentine’s Day! There is always the chance of biting into a nerd wrong and your bracket popping off. Nerds are tough candies and even though they are super small, they can still do a lot of damage.

Other Sweets You Can Eat

While there aren’t too many brace-friendly candies that you can eat on Valentine’s Day, don’t forget about all the other amazing treats you can eat as well.

Cake

Cupcakes and cakes are completely safe to eat on Valentine’s Day. This food is soft enough that it won’t get stuck under your braces or break a bracket. The only thing that you should watch out for while eating these treats is if there are any sprinkles. Some traditional sprinkles are safe to eat, like glitter sprinkles, but tough sugar sprinkles are not safe for braces.

Ice Cream

Feel free to eat plenty of Valentine’s Day-themed ice cream on this day. Ice cream has no risk of damaging your braces. If you can tolerate the cold on your teeth, then ice cream is an amazing treat to have.

You can even have ice cream cake if you want a mix of the treats we have listed so far. Ice cream cake is tasty and can be shared between you and your partner or between you and all your friends!

Soft Cookies

Tough and crunchy cookies are not safe for braces, but soft cookies are! A great option for a soft cookie that is braces-friendly is those Lofthouse cookies that you can purchase in many different colors. These are soft cookies that always have a Valentine’s Day option during the month of February.

The options that we have listed above may not be the candy that you were craving for Valentine’s Day, but they are still delicious. Create a great Valentine’s Day celebration even if you have braces by being aware of what you can and can’t eat.

If you ever “what candy can I eat with braces,” then simply refer back to this list.

Take Care of Your Braces with Orthodontics Limited

Do you need braces or need to find a new orthodontist that will take care of your braces while understanding that you still want to celebrate the holidays? If so, head over to Orthodontics Limited and schedule your first consultation.

The orthodontists at this location are friendly and highly educated. They know how to take care of your mouth during the duration of you having braces and understand that you want to eat holiday-themed sweets. If you ever have any questions about what you can or can’t eat with your braces, ask your orthodontist and they will be able to give you all the information you need.

With Orthodontics Limited, you will get a smile that you love. No matter what problems you had before, with the help of the treatments at this location, you will be free to smile as much as you want in no time.