For those with braces, avoid tricky treats

[This is one of many articles in the Halloween 2006 Season series. Go this way to read the rest of them.]

Having braces was a total nightmare. I had them when I was a kid. I always had gotten canker sores in my mouth from the brace brackets that would rub against the insides of my cheeks and around my lip areas. My teeth hurted for days every time they were tightened. I wanted to slap the orthodontist every time he tightened them.

I did end up breaking one of those brackets more than one time from eating soft candy bars and cookies. Of course my parents weren't too happy having to take me to get the bracket reglued back on. After the second time of one of the brackets breaking off, I never said anything about them breaking off until the next orthodontist appointment. I would lie and say that the bracket must have broken off yesterday and I didn't realize it. Because every time a bracket broke off and he had to reglue it, he would retighten my teeth afterwards and it seemed that the retightening was a lot more than necessary. Bastard.

I was so glad when the braces came off. I remember when all the brackets were off, there were white spots in place of where the brackets were. My teeth needed a cleaning because of it. They weren't whitened. They were scraped with some little mechanical tool.

So if you want to keep the brackets from breaking off, here's how to avoid it. Article is from the United Press International:

For those with braces, avoid tricky treats
BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 31 (UPI) -- A U.S. orthodontist says Halloween tends to be one of busiest times of the year at orthodontists' offices because patients take liberties with treats.

At Halloween, people eat foods that can cause damage to their braces and potentially lengthen treatment time, according to Donald R. Joondeph, orthodontist and president of the American Association of Orthodontists.

Orthodontic patients should avoid "tricky treats" -- candies that are sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy.

"Steer clear of the following treats, or recipes with these ingredients: caramel; hard and chewy candies; nuts; licorice; taffy; jelly beans; hard pretzels; bubblegum; popcorn -- including unpopped kernels; taco chips; and ice," says Joondeph.