Gummy bears are little fruit gum candies that are comparable to jellies in certain English-speaking nations. The sweet is around 2 centimetres (0.8 inches) long and shaped like a bear.
The gummy bear is one of the numerous gummies which are popular gelatin-based candies available in a wide range of forms and colours. It is a candy made of gelatin and, in most cases, is in the miniature shape of a toy bear.
Gummy bears have unique colours, flavours, shapes, and sizes – it is just not any other candy; it looks impressive and tastes fantastic as well. As a result, it is pretty famous among children and adults. However, eating them with braces is quite a challenge. This article explores ways in which you can eat gummy bears with braces.
How To Eat Candy With Braces?
Children, adolescents, and young adults commonly need braces to straighten their teeth. Braces are usually high maintenance. Once a person gets braces, a lot of effort is required to maintain good oral hygiene and ensure that your braces do not get damaged.
Of course, the entire process requires one to be mindful of what one eats. Many brands now offer multi-vitamin gummies, and you can try them out.
If you have a sweet tooth, you can also have sweet cravings while wearing braces. It's tough to say no to your favourite foods and sweets. If you are a fan of candies, then you will possibly have a lot of sweet cravings during Halloween!
However, we believe one cannot crave candy during Halloween only – because, for most of us, candies were the first type of sweet we were introduced to. So, how can one even resist?
The sad part is that, as wonderful as some of these tasty favourites seem – especially candies- some sweets are meant to be avoided when you wear braces. The only intent herein is to guarantee proper brace maintenance and oral hygiene. So, while it is understandable that enjoying a sweet treat now and then is acceptable in most circumstances, you must learn which candies are safe for your braces and which you should avoid at all costs.
Also, if you are a Muslim you must ensure that the gummy bears you are eating are completely Halal.
Gummy Bears and Braces
When it comes to gummy bears, one can't eat gummies while wearing braces since they are too chewy and sticky. The same is almost obvious since gummies essentially fall into the category of sticky food. Suppose you wonder what could go wrong when eating gummy bears with braces.
Gummy bears stick to your teeth and braces and can easily shatter one of your braces’ brackets from the pressure from chewing on them.
Is There a Way Out?
As mentioned above, gummy bears and braces do not go together. You should mostly avoid eating gummy bears if you wear braces – but, at the same time, we understand how hard it can be to avoid them altogether.
In this section, we will address ways in which you can minimise the risk of damaging your teeth and braces if you choose to eat gummy bears! You can also consider opting for vegan gummy vitamins that are full of nutrition and easy to chew.
Tip 1 – Drink Water – And By That, We Mean Lots Of It!
If at all you are eating gummy bears while having braces – you should drink lots of water. Water will help you in cleaning your teeth and eliminating any sugar remaining/left in your teeth.
TIP 2 – Brush!
Brushing teeth is the peak dental hygiene habit one should follow. Ideally, one should brush twice a day. However, if you have eaten gummy bears – you might have to brush more than twice a day. The sugar in gummy bears softens your teeth and needs to be removed as soon as possible; brushing your teeth can be a straightforward and feasible option to eliminate such sugar. So, you shall brush your teeth carefully after eating gummy bears.
Tip 3 – Floss It Out!
Well, now that you are trying to clean your teeth after eating gummy bears, you might as well take an additional step to the process – and that process is called dental floss! Dental flossing removes germs, plaque, and food between your teeth, lowering your risk of dental decay and gum disease. It is a crucial process used for interdental cleaning.
So, if at all you have eaten gummy bears, you should floss it out and avoid having any gummy bear debris stuck to your teeth.
At this point, you should know that dental flossing first, succeeded by brushing with fluoride toothpaste, is much more successful than brushing first, flossing second in eradicating interdental plaque. Furthermore, flossing before brushing increases fluoride retention between teeth. So, you might as well floss first and then brush your teeth to deal with gummy bears!
Some Exclusions
While we have ruled out eating gummy bears, if you have braces – we might give you one piece of good news. Because, as much as we care about your dental health, we also care about your sweet tooth cravings.
Hence, the good news is that you can eat soft gummy bears with braces. Plus, if you need to avoid gluten, there’s a solution - gluten-free gummy bears!
Soft gummy bears are not that chewy and may not damage your teeth compared to typical gummy bears; however, this does not mean you rule out the tips mentioned above and do not drink water, floss, and brush your teeth after eating gummy bears. We want you to have a good time but also be dentally safe!
Conclusion
At this point, we have all established that gummy bears and braces have a complicated relationship. While we understand that the love for gummy bears is natural and inevitable – braces might require you to take extra care of your teeth (if you decide to risk it and eat gummy bears!). Whatever you do, be mindful of your dental health!