Halloween Candy- what to eat and what NOT to eat

 

🎃 Halloween Candy & Braces: What’s a Trick & What’s a Treat? 🍬

Essential Tips from Barnett Orthodontics in Barberton, Ohio

Halloween is creeping up fast — and at Barnett Orthodontics in Barberton, Ohio, we know this spooky season is one of the most fun (and sugary) times of the year! Whether you’re trick-or-treating around Akron, Norton, Wadsworth, Green, Copley, or other surrounding areas, it’s important to know which candies are safe for your braces — and which ones could lead to a 👀👀 SCARY 😈trip back to the orthodontist.

Here’s your ultimate guide to surviving Halloween with braces, brought to you by the smile experts at Barnett Orthodontics.

🚫 Candies to Avoid (A.K.A. The Real Villains):

Some treats are deliciously evil when it comes to braces. These are the ones that could send you straight to the orthodontist's chair:

• 💀 Hard candies (Jolly Ranchers, Life Savers, Blow Pops)
• 🕸️ Sticky stuff (caramels, taffy, toffee — they’re basically glue!)
• 🧟‍♂️ Chewing gum (even sugar-free can be risky)
• 🥜 Nuts & nutty candies (Snickers, PayDay — so good, so bad)
• 🍿 Popcorn kernels & hulls (Popcorn is okay… if you're super careful)

These candies can crack brackets, bend wires, and haunt your orthodontic progress. Don’t let a treat turn into a trick!

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✅ Braces-Safe Treats (AKA Sweet Heroes):

Don’t worry — you can still have a fang-tastic 😁 Halloween without wrecking your braces. Here are some dentist-approved goodies:

• 🍫 Plain chocolate (think Hershey’s bars, M&Ms – without nuts!)
• 🐻 Soft gummies (in moderation — avoid anything super sticky)
• 🍭 Cotton candy (melts in your mouth, not in your wires!)
• 😋 Non-sticky sour candies (bonus points if they’re freeze-dried)
• 🍪 Brownies, cupcakes & soft cookies (homemade wins the night!)

Just remember: moderation is key, and brushing afterward is a must!

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🦷 Halloween Survival Tips for Braces Wearers:

• 🪥 Brush and floss right after indulging — sugar loves to stick around!
• 💦 Rinse with water or mouthwash to keep things fresh.
• 🛡️ Keep some orthodontic wax handy in case wires get spooky 👻.
• 💥And remember: moderation keeps cavities and orthodontic setbacks away.

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👻 Don’t Let Candy Haunt Your Smile!

With just a little planning, you can enjoy Halloween treats without turning your orthodontic progress into a horror story. At Barnett Orthodontics, we’re here to help patients across Barberton, Akron, Norton, Wadsworth, Green, Copley, and nearby communities keep their smiles safe — and stylish.

If something goes wrong with your braces during Halloween festivities, or you just need a check-up, we’re ready to help!

📍 Barnett Orthodontics
86 Conservatory Dr. Ste. A
Barberton, OH 44203

📞 Call us: 330-745-4497
🌐 Visit us: www.barnettortho.com

Mail-Order Orthodontics. Is it a Mail-Order Mistake?

My social media feeds (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Yahoo) have been bombarded lately with advertisements about a direct to consumer (mail-order) orthodontic treatment option with Invisible aligners that is 3x faster and 60% cheaper than traditional braces.  In fact, from what the advertisement says, you do it yourself, without even having to see an orthodontist or dentist.  


Say what?!?!  


Cheaper, faster and more convenient?  There must be a catch, right?  RIGHT.


I'd like to unbox this looking more closely at the three different selling points of DIY aligners:

1) Time
2) Price
3) Convenience, no Doctor Visits


TIME
It is totally misleading that mail-order aligners work “faster" than seeing an orthodontist.  This marketing ploy is founded on the principal that their treatment takes 6 months, while traditional orthodontic treatment usually takes 18 months.  In reality, if a patient ONLY wants their front teeth aligned, an orthodontist can do it in 6 months with invisible aligners or braces—the same amount of time as DIY aligners.  There is more to orthodontics however than just straightening the front teeth.  That’s why a typical orthodontic case can take around 18 months. 

With a traditional case, the first 6 months are usually the initial straightening stage and the following 12 months are usually the bite correction stage.  Mail order aligners on average take only 6 months because they DO NOT correct your bite.  Therefore, when these direct to consumer companies say they are 3x faster than traditional braces, they are not comparing apples to apples.  They are comparing a limited treatment option to only align the front teeth (6 months), to a comprehensive orthodontic case where your bite is being fixed (18 months).    That’s where they get the 3x faster statement, 6 months versus 18 months.


Check out this case.

I straightened these teeth after only 2 months.  It took ONE appointment.  By this reasoning, I can straighten teeth 9x faster than traditional braces and 3x faster than mail order aligners.  I win. 

Mail-order aligners are not faster than seeing an orthodontist.  If a patient wants limited orthodontic treatment with clear aligners or braces, it can be done in approximately 6 months by an orthodontist. Discuss this with an orthodontist so you can understand the pros and cons of limited treatment. Don’t try and do it yourself thinking it will be faster and better.



PRICE
The cost of orthodontic treatment is usually determined by the total treatment time.  Shorter cases typically cost less, while longer cases typically cost more. 

As I stated above, the average direct to consumer aligner product takes approximately 6 months.  Therefore, they have priced their product around $2000.  This is significantly cheaper than a traditional orthodontic case (both regular braces or aligners) that takes almost 18 months ($4000-$6000).  With that said, using the same logic as we used to destroy the speed argument above, these mail-order aligners are not truly cheaper.  They are just selling you a limited 6 month option. 

If a patient is interested in a limited 6-month orthodontic treatment option, just ask you orthodontist to weigh the pros and cons of a 6 month plan.  Many orthodontists would entertain the idea of doing limited treatment (at a lower cost than full treatment) if the patient understands the risks and rewards.  Chances are good the cost would be similar to a mail-order aligner.

Thus, the mail order argument that it is 60% less expensive is again, misleading and false. 


CONVIENENCE, NO DOCTOR VISITS
The lack of doctor supervision is the BIGGEST concern someone should have about the mail-order aligner business model.  


Orthodontic treatment is an on-going medical procedure which requires an initial diagnosis and on-going supervision throughout treatment.  As aligners are changed, the teeth are moving and changing.  While the mail-order companies have a doctor “review” the treatment plan, without seeing the patient, they do not have enough information to make a proper plan. Also, there is no guarantee it is an orthodontist reviewing your case.  It could just be a general dentist with no formal training in orthodontics.   If orthodontic tooth movement is not done correctly, it can lead to bone issues, tooth loss, gum disease or bad-bite changes.  Look at the on-line reviews and you will quickly see a trend regarding failures with mail-order aligners.  While there have been successes, without a doctor’s supervision, treatment cannot be altered, improved and changed as needed.  


Also, most orthodontists utilize specific techniques such as attachments (resin buttons on the teeth) to assist with clear aligner treatment.  With the mail-order products, these essential buttons cannot be utilized.  


To put it simply, there is too much risk involved with orthodontic treatment that is not supervised on an on-going basis.  


CONCLUSION


To summarize, DIY Mail Order Aligners are not cheaper, not faster and not as safe as seeing a trained orthodontist. 



If you live in/around the Akron area, we treat both children and adults with braces or invisible aligners. Our practice is in Barberton but we promise you it will be worth the drive if you are 20-30 minutes away.  Give Barnett Orthodontics a call at 330-745-4497 or contact us through our website or Facebook page to learn more.  

"DIY" Teeth Straightening: the Magic Alternative to Braces? Rubber Bands and 3-D printed trays: Seriously...Seriously dangerous!

 

"DIY" Teeth Straightening: the Magic Alternative to Braces? Rubber Bands and 3-D printed trays: Seriously?...Seriously dangerous!

By: Taylor

         Most orthodontic patients want braces to improve their smiles.  Sure, getting a healthy bite is important but more than anything, they want to feel more confident about the way they look.  Braces can be expensive though and can take 1-2 years depending on the case.  Have you heard about a scary trend of using a tiny hair elastic that anyone could purchase by the hundreds at a drug store to close spaces without braces though?
          Let's admit it: social media is more effective in today's socitey than that local newspaper that gets dropped off to your house on Sunday's. There are hundreds of different sites and apps at the tips of our fingers that help connect information or people in different ways such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and last but not least, Pintrest. Pintrest is great for creative ideas for hair, makup and delicious recipes but is it really the answer to all of our orthodontic questions? Recently, posts on Pinterest have been highlighting how someone can use a hair elastic to close those little spaces between our front teeth!   But at what cost and risk?
          What most people don't realize is the damage these at-home remedies have on their teeth. The American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics issued a consumer alert about the use of elastic bands by non-orthodontists to close gaps in teeth which stated that while there are some people that have done this on their own with little or no harm done to the teeth, the rubber band can "slide into the soft tissues, where it is difficult, if not impossible, to retrieve it, then continue along the length the roots, destroying the periodontal attachment and produce inflammation". They then stated that "the teeth then extrude, the crowns of the teeth fan out as the roots are pulled together, the teeth become increasingly mobile" which can lead to tooth loss. I think we can all agree that the tiny space is NOT worth losing your teeth over. Let's leave the teeth-straightening to the professionals.

          Here are some examples of what people attempt vs what really happens: Warning...some of the photos are graphic:

We recently had a patient come into our Barberton office requesting to have her space closed.  She attempted to close the space on her own with a hair tie and showed us a picture she took on her cell phone of her own mouth.  Notice in the picture how the gums are red and swollen.  The rubber band was trapped under her gums.  Luckily she sought the services of a specialist and corrected the problem before a serious issue occurred.  Believe it or not, this stuff is happening in Akron Ohio. 

What about 3-D printed retainers to move your teeth? Yup, someone has tried it.  See the link below for the article: http://makezine.com/2016/03/20/can-you-fix-your-own-teeth-with-3d-printed-retainers/

 

Our suggestion, if you want your teeth straightened, see an orthodontist.  As orthodontist has 6-7 years of advanced education after 4 years of college.  We are the professionals and the easiest and cheapest way out is rarely the best.  If you live in the Akron Ohio area, don't try to do it yourself at home.  Give us a call to discuss your needs and schedule a complimentary consultation.

7 year-olds and EXTRA teeth; how seeing your orthodontist early can save the day! Or at least, save the smile.

If you haven't done it yet, and your child is at least 7, take them to the orthodontist.  Do it today.  You don't need to wait until the dentist says it's time.  Go now and rule out any unforeseen issues.  Chances are good that your child won't be ready for braces until age 12, but going to the orthodontist early, just might make a big difference in their dental future.

Recently we had a patient come in for a complimentary new patient exam. Her family had no issues with esthetics and her dentist didn't have any concerns.  Her parents were aware of some crowding and a slight overbite but they made the appointment because they had read somewhere that the American Association of Orthodontists recommends a child's first exam at age 7. Thank goodness they came.

Upon taking a set of photos and xrays, we identified a large growth between the roots of her upper front teeth.  It was an amorphous extra tooth, which if given enough time could have continued to grow and damage her front teeth potentially ruining her smile.  This would have never been caught had the family not come in early.

Over 80% of kids visiting the orthodontist at age 7 do not need any early orthodontic treatment. Those kids go into a complimentary observation program called our "Kids Cub Club" where they return annually for quick checks to make sure the teeth are erupting properly and jaws are growing appropriately. 

The other 20% of kids who could benefit from early intervention, usually require limited treatment (at a fraction of the cost) with long term benefits that lessen the complexity and cost of treatment later. Often through the use of expanders, retainers or temporary front braces, problems can be corrected early (usually in 6-12 months).

  

Take your kid to the orthodontist. It might make a big difference in their dental future and you have nothing to lose.

Tooth Brushing Habits Need to Start Young

While most patients are not ready for orthodontic treatment until almost 12 years of age, some early treatment is done in 7, 8 and 9 year old kids. For this reason, tooth brushing habits need to be reinforced at a early age (starting around 2).

Great brushing will not only keep the teeth clean and healthy but with braces, it will prevent permanent stains from forming on the teeth.

While they are young, let your children brush by themselves and then check to make sure they've done a good job. Provide lots of positive reinforcement and give direction on areas that need improvement.

By giving your kids an early exposure to brushing and verifying that their techniques are sound, you're setting the foundation for an appreciation for a healthy and beautiful smile.

Happy Brushing!!!