Are you ready to embark on a sweet, delicious, and braces-friendly journey?
Welcome to the whimsical world of freeze-dried candies—a tooth-friendly treat that promises to deliver the taste of your favorite sweets without the sticky aftermath that can be a nightmare for orthodontic work. Because braces have brackets and wires, there are some foods and treats that are not recommended due to the possibility of causing damage to your braces and ultimately delaying your treatment time.
In this blog, we will test these innovative confections, exploring whether freeze-dried versions of popular candies can satisfy your sugar cravings and keep your braces and orthodontist happy. Join us as we crunch, taste, and assess various colorful, flavorful selections that might revolutionize how you indulge with braces.
Get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth, brace yourself for a new experience, and find out if these treats are as good for your brackets as they are for your taste buds!
Nerd Clusters and Starbursts
Two candies that are a definite "no" in their traditional form. Typically, Nerds candies are too hard and can cause the breakage of brackets. Likewise, Starbursts, though very popular, are much too chewy to be eaten with braces. However, both candies were airy and had a light crunch in the freeze-dried varieties. We would consider this a better alternative for braces patients!
Red Hots and Jolly Ranchers
These two favorite candies did not fare so well in our braces-friendly test. Even in their freeze-dried state, the Red Hots were still much too hard, risking popping off a bracket or bending a wire.
We were surprised by the consistency of the Jolly Rancher. It was so easy to bite into it almost disintegrates in your mouth. Which sounds great for braces, right?
Unfortunately, the chewed candy was so sticky and hardened around our teeth that it could get trapped around braces, so it would be nearly impossible to brush away easily. For this reason, we do not recommend Jolly Ranchers.
What other candies would you like us to test? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Hester and Morris Orthodontics is South Georgia's Best Orthodontic Practice. We are the area's specialist in Invisalign clean aligners and braces. Let us help you live life smiling!
Click here for a list of foods we ask patients to avoid when they have braces, along with foods that are a great alternative!