Orthodontists see patient increase day after Halloween

The days following Halloween are when orthodontists often see an uptick in emergency appointments.

The culprits most often responsible for the broken braces? “Two words: candy corn,” New York-based orthodontist Michelle Katz says. Any really sticky, chewy or caramel-like candies — think Skittles, Mike and Ike, Starburst, Laffy Taffy, jelly beans and licorice — can pull off wires and brackets.

Hard candies, such as Jolly Ranchers, Gobstoppers and lollipops, can break off or bend wires on braces or other orthodontic appliances if wearers bite down too hard.

“If the bracket breaks, it’s actually pretty bad because it changes the way the teeth move,” Vegas Braces orthodontist Jahnavi Rao says. “So now your teeth are moving in a direction they’re not supposed to move in and if you don’t inform the orthodontist and have that repaired in a timely fashion it will lead to a longer treatment time, possibly less than ideal results. And we don’t need to go down that path, so just communicate with your orthodontist to prevent all those things from happening.”

The combination of caramel and peanuts inside Snickers bars present a particular minefield; while the nuts are not often hard enough to break the braces, they do get easily wedged between wires and brackets.

On a flier Rao distributes to her patients from the American Association of Orthodontists, candy with a more buttery texture, such as chocolate and peanut butter cups, are categorized as “ortho-friendly treats.”

“As orthodontists we want you to have fun and we want you to enjoy Halloween, but we also want our patients to be responsible,” Rao says.

Both Katz and Rao recommend that, in general, patients avoid candy, even ones that don’t damage their braces, because it can cause decay when it gets in difficult-to-clean areas. Ultimately, good old flossing and brushing are the best ways to clean up.

Although patients using clear aligners such as Invisalign remove the plastic aligner trays to eat, and therefore are less likely to become damaged from candy, Rao still recommends ensuring teeth are clean before putting the aligners back in.

If patients aren’t sure if their braces are broken severely enough to affect their orthodontic treatment in the long run, they can call their orthodontist. Although Katz says she likes to see patients when their braces break, they only need to come in immediately if they’re experiencing discomfort. Otherwise, they can wait until their next regularly scheduled appointment. Although replacing a bracket or wire can cause delays, Katz says that the overall braces timeline of 18 to 24 months often accounts for a mishap. It’s when breakages occur regularly that patients will have prolonged treatment times.

“That being said, I want them to live their life and enjoy their process,” Katz says.

Read more from Sarah Corsa at reviewjournal.com. Contact her at scorsa@reviewjournal.com and follow @sarahcorsa on Twitter.