The holidays are known for great food and amazing treats, but some of those sweet treats might not always be the best choice during your Invisalign or other orthodontic journey. Some treats can potentially damage braces and cause problems with your orthodontic care journey. So, which treats are the best choice and which ones should you avoid? Dive into all the details below to learn how you can incorporate some holiday treats into your festivities this year — even if you wear braces!
Holiday Treats and Your Orthodontic Journey
If you wear braces, choosing the right holiday treat can sometimes be a challenge. Some choices are much better than others as they are much less likely to cause problems with your braces. Keep reading below to understand which holiday treats might be right for you.
Choosing The Best Holiday Treats
Just because you wear Invisalign or braces doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some delicious holiday treats this year. One major advantage to Invisalign is the fact that almost no treat is off-limits. Simply remove your Invisalign aligners, eat the treats, brush your teeth, and place the aligners back on your teeth. Patients who wear traditional braces must pay more attention to the types of treats they choose to eat.
The types of treats that are best for patients with braces are those that are soft and do not have an excessive amount of sugar. Some examples of good choices include soft baked cookies, marshmallow treats, chocolate-covered strawberries, fruit trays, soft candies, and mocktails. All of these options are both delicious and safe for your braces. On the other hand, there are some types of treats that you should avoid. Those are highlighted below.
Holiday Treats To Avoid
Unfortunately, some holiday treats are not great choices for patients with braces. These include hard candies, like pralines and toffee. Additionally, sticky or chewy candy is not a good option. This might include caramel or taffy. Finally, cookies or candy that are crunchy should also be avoided. All of these foods can damage your braces or become stuck in the hardware. It can be difficult to clean your braces after eating some of these treats, and that may allow excess sugar to sit on your teeth and cause problems.
Getting Emergency Braces Care
Even when using the utmost care, accidents sometimes still happen. Perhaps you decided to eat a treat that was too crunchy and damaged your braces. What should you do over the holidays if that happens? First, you should assess the extent of the damage. If there are no major problems, you can likely place some wax over the area to avoid irritation to your mouth. As soon as your orthodontist’s office reopens after the holidays, contact them to get the problem corrected. However, if you experience a major problem during the holidays, you may need some emergency care. Most orthodontic providers have an emergency contact for these situations, and you may have to contact them to get the problem corrected right away.
Schedule Your Invisalign Appointment Today
Invisalign offers many benefits, and one of those benefits is the ability to enjoy almost any holiday treat that you wish while still getting a beautiful smile. Northern Virginia Orthodontic is the #1 Invisalign provider in the country, and we can help you get the smile of your dreams today. If you are ready to get a perfect smile while still being able to enjoy all the goodies around the holiday season, then contact us to schedule an appointment today!