Halloween and Braces: Your Guide to Braces-Friendly Tricks and Treats

It's that time of year again! There's a slight chill in the air, leaves crunch underfoot, and the ghosts and cobwebs are dotting our yards and porches. In less than a week, you'll be venturing out in costume to collect treats from your neighbors (or maybe you'll be sticking at home doing the treat-giving this year). Nonetheless, October 31 is nearly here and you've probably started to wonder: how in the world am I going to survive the sugary temptations of Halloween with braces?!

Well, you're in luck! We present to you a handy guide to enjoying Halloween with braces. Dr. Land of Land Orthodontics in Raleigh, Wake Forest, and Angier, NC shares his favorite tips (and a few tricks!) for satisfying that sweet tooth and avoiding any orthodontic emergencies here at Halloween.

If it's hard, sticky, or chewy, avoid it like the plague!

There's no quicker ticket to an emergency Halloween visit to your orthodontist's office than sinking your pearly whites into a sticky, solid (and delicious) candied apple (or anything like it). We can't give you an exhaustive list of what to avoid, but just stick to this simple 3-word rule and most of your bases are covered. When in doubt, just ask yourself - is it: hard? sticky? chewy? If so, you're better off avoiding it.

Now for the good news! Here's a list of some of the wonderful treats you actually can enjoy this Halloween!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
No harm here. Soft, creamy, and delicious! Extra points if you go for the Pumpkins! :)

Kernel-free popcorn (Pirate's Booty!)
Traditional Popcorn is one of the biggest no-no's while wearing braces, but there's a delicious, braces-friendly alternative: Pirate's Booty! It doesn't have the kernel that traditional popcorn has, so it's safe to eat. You can even use it to make these spooky popcorn hands:

Hershey Kisses (or a regular old Hershey bar for that matter)
As long as you're avoiding the Hershey with Almonds (or any other nuts), you're in the clear.

3 Musketeers!
Great costume idea for a trio, but also a stellar sweet snack for braces.

M&Ms
They melt in your mouth, not in your hand! These milk-chocolatey drops of goodness are the perfect braces-friendly treat (as long as you avoid the Peanut variety).

KitKat
"Break me off a piece of that" is probably exactly what you're thinking right now.

JELL-O
It's about as close as you're going to get to eating anything gummy with braces.

Pies - especially pumpkin!
Unless it's a pecan pie, you're pretty much in the clear. Just avoid any hard ingredients (pecans, walnuts, etc) and you're ready for the holidays, fork in hand!

Milky Way
Creamy, nougat-y goodness. What's not to love?

York Peppermint Patties
They're minty fresh! But you still have to brush after you eat them.