Orthodontists brace for tooth terror

October 28, 2008|By Linda Shrieves, Sentinel Staff Writer

What's the busiest time of year for an orthodontist?

It's Halloween -- thanks to millions of kids who can't resist the chewy candy that bends, twists or pulls off their braces.

Darned Mary Janes!

Rotten licorice!

Blasted bubble gum!

Why, even bobbing for apples -- or eating caramel apples -- is considered an orthodontic no-no, according to the American Association of Orthodontists. Bobbing for apples, or taking a big bite out of an apple, puts a lot of pressure on the braces on the front teeth and can jar them loose.

What else is a no-no? That Halloween favorite, candy corn, which makes the list because it's chewy. And the older the candy corn gets, the chewier it is. (And, if you've ever waited until late November to eat your candy corn, you know that's true.)

So what do orthodontists recommend? Check out the list.

But just one caveat: We hope that no one tries handing out ice cream in our neighborhood because that would be a real mess.

Is Halloween really the busiest time of the year or is it some public-relations campaign for orthodontists?

"We actually started tracking this over the last three to four years" to see when braces were damaged or broken, says Dr. Brett Lawton, a Winter Park orthodontist. At his practice, they started seeing a big spike -- five or six kids a day -- coming in after Halloween because of broken brackets. "It's a problem for families and for orthodontists," says Lawton. "It really became a problem for moms and dads to get off work to bring the kids in. And for us, it's longer days because there are more patients to work in."

What should someone do if their kid eats a chewy candy and messes up his braces on Halloween night? Is this a dental emergency?

Usually you can use "orthodontic wax" -- available at drug stores and often given by orthodontists to patients when they start treatment -- to hold a bracket in place until you can see the orthodontist. Likewise, if a wire pops loose and is irritating the cheek, placing orthodontic wax on the end of the wire will help. For more tips on braces emergencies, go to braces.org/knowmore/breaks for guidance.

Do you think kids will really listen to their orthodontists for advice about candy and Halloween?

"We're realistic. We know they're going to go out and trick or treat," Lawton says. "We typically recommend they stay with the softer chocolates, the chocolate that will melt in your mouth, things like peanut-butter cups." Beware of hard, sticky, chewy candies such as taffy or Starburst candies. Also, avoid nuts or anything hard or crunchy, such as popcorn kernels, which can damage the braces or the teeth. And here's the real killer, kids -- it can slow down your treatment, so you'll have those braces on longer.

So what do you give kids at Halloween? Floss?

"We hand out soft chocolates, peanut-butter cups," Lawton says, "and we usually hand out toothbrushes too."

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