It’s almost Valentine’s Day! That means showing love to your favorite people and indulging in some sweet, heart-shaped treats. If you’re currently undergoing orthodontic treatment with braces, the idea of sweet treats might have sounded an alarm for you! How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day, while protecting your braces and avoiding certain treats?
We’ve got you covered! We want you to enjoy all of your favorite holidays with braces-friendly candy and festive chocolates that won’t damage your brackets or wires.
What candy can you eat with braces on Valentine’s Day?
Many people think candies are completely off-limits with braces. Fortunately, this isn’t the case! There’s a variety of candy you can eat with braces—cautiously. Here are a few ideas:
Heart-Shaped Chocolates
Here’s to anyone wondering, “can you eat chocolate with braces?” Yes you can! Most Valentine’s chocolates are soft and won’t damage your braces. That means boxed chocolates and truffles are still on the table. Although, chocolates that have hard nuts or extremely chewy centers should be avoided. Biting into a hard nut can pop an archwire loose or break a bracket. Chewy centers can do the same! Try to avoid chocolates with caramel or toffee centers. Once the chewy candy gets stuck to your brackets or wires, it can be pretty difficult to get it off.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Say yes to delicious chocolate-covered strawberries! Festive strawberries are a popular Valentine’s treat, and you can enjoy them—guilt free. Strawberries that are dipped in chocolate or white chocolate, and covered with crushed nuts or heart-shaped sprinkles are okay to eat with braces! It’s important to be cautious of the size of the nuts, though. Don’t bite into any large nuts, and try to avoid the harder ones, like almonds. Crushed peanuts are often used to coat chocolate-covered strawberries and those are typically soft enough to gorge on, while keeping your braces intact.
Ice Cream and Cake
Cake, ice cream and ice cream cake are braces-approved! Treat your tastebuds with any of these delicious options:
- Yellow cake
- Red velvet cake
- Chocolate cake
- Cookie cake
- Strawberry chocolate mousse cakes (YUM)
- Cheesecake
- Tiramisu
- Cupcakes
- Heart-shaped ice cream cake
Most ice creams and cakes are soft enough to keep your braces in perfect shape while you enjoy them. But remember to avoid ice creams and cakes with hard candies, hard nuts and extremely chewy or sticky ingredients.
[h2] Flowers, Candles and Stuffed Animals
Flowers, candles and stuffed animals are braces-approved, because you don’t eat them! (Hopefully…) Valentine’s Day isn’t just about pink treats, heart-shaped candies and truffle chocolates. You can give a fellow braces-wearer any of these awesome gifts, or receive them from your Valentine without worrying about your orthodontic treatment.
After all, who doesn’t love a beautiful bouquet of flowers, warm-scented candles and stuffed teddy bears?!
What if I have Invisalign®?
With Invisalign, you can enjoy any treats you’d like! Hard candies, chewy caramel, crunchy nuts—nothing is off limits. That’s because Invisalign is removable, so you get to remove your clear aligners when you eat.
That’s not to say you should forget about your oral health, though. Gorging on sugary sweets without brushing and flossing your teeth after can lead to bacteria buildup, yellow teeth, and bad breath—the last thing you want on Valentine’s Day!
Don’t Forget
Whether you have Invisalign or braces, be sure to clean your smile thoroughly after eating Valentine’s Day treats. Brush all surfaces of each tooth, floss between each tooth, and rinse with some antiseptic mouthwash after you celebrate.
Your orthodontic treatment doesn’t have to restrict you on Valentine’s Day! If anything, use your orthodontic treatment as an opportunity to try new things.
If you have any questions about braces-friendly candies or chocolates, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We’re here to answer your questions.
Ready to begin your smile transformation? Request your complimentary consultation today!
