If you have braces and regular sugar cravings you may find it hard to resist reaching for a candy bar from time to time. There are a number of recommended foods to avoid during braces treatment, and candy tops the list.
How Candy Can Damage Your Teeth
Candy is bad for your teeth, regardless of whether or not you have braces, but why? Candy is packed full of sugar, which is a carbohydrate. The bacteria that form on your teeth and cause tooth decay feed on carbohydrates. Tooth decay, enamel breakdown, and cavities can all result from eating too much candy. Braces make it hard to rid your teeth of the excess sugar in your mouth, which makes you more prone to dental issues.
You may also find your teeth stained after getting your braces removed if you eat candy. Candy yellows the teeth, and since the brackets for your braces protect a portion of each tooth; it is possible this section will be whiter when your braces are removed.
How Candy Can Damage Your Braces
The world is full of different types of candies, and many of them are hard and sticky. Biting through hard candy or sucking on sticky candy puts stress on your teeth and braces, making the braces, brackets, and bands on your teeth more prone to breakage.
It is very common for brackets and attachments to pop off under hard stress, requiring reattachment by your orthodontist. When your orthodontic devices break it also delays treatment, which can prolong the need to wear traditional braces.
Wright Orthodontics encourages our patients in both Atlanta and Marietta, GA to avoid eating candy with braces to achieve the best results possible and maintain dental health. Contact us with any questions or to schedule a checkup.
