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.  

Instant Orthodontics? Staight teeth in 6 Months???

Recently I had a patient ask me about an advertisement promising to treat ANYONE with braces in only SIX months. As the old saying goes, if it sounds unbelievable, then it probably is. I suppose it's not a totally false statement, it's just an incomplete promise, an incomplete result and very misleading.

The truth of the matter is that almost anyone's teeth can be improved or straightened rather quickly--in about six months. But to perfect the alignment and to correct the bite, it takes considerably longer. Unfortunately, across the US and on-line (not in Akron Ohio) some individuals are promoting their six month braces as a better option than conventional orthodontic treatment. They promise it is more comfortable, more aesthetic, healthier and most importantly to the consumer, FASTER.

Wanna get rich quick, want to lose tons of weight, regrow all your hair, make money from the comfort of your own home, have braces on your teeth for as little as six months...get the point.

Make sure you're an educated consumer. Do your research and chose wisely.

Mouthguards...Football, Basketball and ROLLER DERBY!?!

Our first annual Mouthguard Day was a terrific success. We met a lot of new people, saw some of our old patients, and most importantly made affordable custom mouthguards to protect a lot of smiles.
While we had a lot of high school athletes come in for a mouthguard, some of the more interesting mouthguards we made were for two of the members of the Rubber City Rollergirls, an all female Roller Derby Team. While their roller derby names may be silly, "MC HamHer" and "Dead Eye HuntHer", the sport is very serious and growing in popularity.

If your not familiar with them, be sure to check them out though the link provided.

A big thank you to the entire Team at Barnett Orthodontics for an amazing job organizing and planning this event specifically Ruth and Robin.

The proceeds from the event will be donated to the Summa Dental Health Clinic.

Congrats Miss Ohio Teen USA-- Barnett Orthodontics Patient

Becoming Miss Ohio Teen USA takes more than a beautiful smile, but straight teeth are certainly an important part of the package!

We were excited to learn recently that our past patient, Bridget Linton was crowned Miss Teen Ohio 2010. Bridget is an amazing person both inside and out and has used her position this year to work with different organizations such as the American Heart Association, Girl Talk and D.A.R.E. She has visited Ohio schools to encourage children to become aware of their inner beauty and promote a positive self image.

Congratulations Bridget and keep up the amazing work as Miss Ohio Teen USA!

Follow bridget on Facebook or on her blog by clicking on the links.

Barnett Orthodontics provides braces and invisalign to adults and children in the Akron Ohio area and surrounding communities including Barberton, Norton, Manchester, Canal Fulton, Copley, Uniontown, Green, Wadsworth, North Canton, Portage Lakes, Doylestown, Coventry, and Fairlawn.

Mouthguard Day at Barnett Orthodontics, Sept 22nd

Save your Smile- Wear a Mouthguard

Our non-profit, Mouthguard Day is upon us...Wednesday September 22nd

Cost of a custom athletic mouthguard, $20.00

All proceeds with go to support the Summa Dental Clinic of Akron

The Summa Dental Clinic sees 850 patients each month and provides a much needed service to the uninsured residents of our community

Contact our Team at Barnett Orthodontics, Barberton Ohio to learn more
330-745-4497