Healthy Habits: Enjoying the Holidays with Braces

The holidays brings with it plenty of meals and celebrations. For kids with braces, these out-of-home meals can sometimes bring foods that aren't ideal for their dental hardware. Potential pitfalls can break braces and bend wires, resulting in costly and sometimes painful repairs. In some cases, this can also result in extended treatment times.

But thankfully, with a little knowledge about which treats to avoid, your child can still enjoy treats without damaging his/her braces. Orthodontist Dr. Regina Blevins shared with me her tips.

 It's that time of year where we get together with family and friends.  Most of these gatherings involve foods and treats, often favorites we only have once a year.  As both a mom and orthodontist, I would like to share my insights on navigating this holiday season if you are currently in orthodontic treatment yourself or have a child in orthodontic treatment.Probably the first thing to consider is what type of braces you are dealing with.  It is much different if you are wearing a removable type such as plastic spring aligners or removable Invisalign aligners.  These removable options allow you to take a break and enjoy any treat.  Just remember that if the treat is sticky you should brush and floss before reinserting your removable braces.  Also be mindful of how much to have them out, they aren't working on straightening if they are not being worn.  An hour or two will not set you back, but leaving them out for a full day can cause discomfort when reinserted.If you are not in removable braces, then your options are more limited.  The traditional treats such as pumpkin pie, cobblers and fruit pies are generally safe.  Just avoid nuts or crunchy crust edges.  Soft fudges are also generally safe if there are no nuts or sticky caramel in them.  What is a no go, are the brittles and other hard-sticky sugar treats.  This would also include the traditional candy cane which can be enjoyed if you can trust your child to only lick but not crunch and caramel apples which should be completely avoided.Another caution during these times that treats are being enjoyed comes from the temptation to wrap the removable brace in a napkin and it can get thrown away.  If this happens then you will have to contact your orthodontist to have a replacement made. This can be expensive. However, if the removable brace that is lost is an Invisalign aligner, they are made to change in series each week so just put in the next one. Let your doctor know when you see them you are a week ahead.  If you have a treat and your glued on brace breaks you will need to go into the office for a repair.  It is a good idea to have orthodontic wax on hand to place over the broken brace to act as a bandage for comfort until you can get it.  I hope this holiday season finds you smiling and this advice helps you navigate the holiday treat table safely.

Dr. Regina Blevins is an orthodontist at Minnesota Orthodontics. She started her career in dentistry in 1980 as a Dental hygiene graduate of C.S. Mott community college. Afterwards she attended the University of Michigan where she received her degree in dentistry. Her appreciation and love for the fine art of the cosmetic side of dentistry led her to pursue her orthodontic graduate training at the University of Minnesota, where she received her Master of Science and a certificate in orthodontics.