Halloween

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN; the time of black cats and carved pumpkins, the time of ghouls and goblins, the time of costumes, parades, and parties. It’s time for all of those things, and it’s also a great time for healthy Halloween snacks!

It’s No Trick! Treat Yourself To These Healthy Snacks

Here are a few Healthy Halloween snack ideas that are also good for oral health and braces.

1. Finger sandwiches. Freeze your bread and then cut it with a cookie cutter into Halloween figures. Use soft and healthy spreads like peanut butter and jelly, hummus, or guacamole. Guacamole makes a great green Frankenstein on an open faced sandwich.
2. Cheese cut-outs. Those Halloween cookie cutters work great on cheese slices too!
3. Banana ghosts. Banana ghosts on a stick are so easy to make. Simply peel a banana, cut it in half, and add chocolate chips for a mouth and eyes!
4. Tangerine pumpkins. Clementine tangerines are so easy to peel. Then add a snap pea pumpkin stem for a bit of color.
5. Watermelon monster. Why carve a pumpkin when you can carve a watermelon? Your watermelon monster will make a great centerpiece for a spooky fruit platter.
6. Apple slice mouths. Tiny marshmallows make great teeth between apple lips. Use peanut butter to hold the marshmallow teeth in place.
7. Strawberry faces. Dip strawberries in either yogurt or white chocolate to make funny faces. Chocolate chips, sprinkles, and grape bits can be used to accessorize.
8. Frozen pops. Why eat candy corn when you can have a giant frozen pop with white yogurt, orange juice, and pineapple juice. Yum!
9. Scary deviled eggs. Hummus can be used to make a brown center for spiders. Black olives can be used to make spider legs. Or you can make egg eyeballs with an olive center. Add a little red pepper for a scary bloodshot look.

Have A Healthy Halloween!

Halloween is a time of creativity and fun. So get creative and bring on the healthy treats!

It’s time for oral health and a great time for wishing you a Happy Halloween!

Gorczyca Orthodontics, 5201 Deer Valley Road, Suite 1A, Antioch, California 925-757-9000.

Top image by Flickr user Scott McLeod used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

IT’S THAT TIME OF year again. October is the season of decorations and surprises as children pick out their costumes and look forward to trick or treating on Halloween.

Are Halloween Color Ties A Good Idea?

It’s also the season of orange and black braces color ties in orthodontic offices worldwide. You can be sure that orthodontists everywhere are restocking their supply of these two colors for the Halloween season and the increased demand for orange and black elastics. But could you regret choosing these festive colors for your teeth and braces after the Halloween season?

Choose Your Braces Tie Colors With Care

Remember, you may be wearing your Halloween color ties for up to eight weeks. So, if you have a school dance in November and you’re planning to wear blue, you may want to rethink your braces color tie selection for the future and plan ahead.

Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California states that if you want a braces color tie that will always look great, choose the color pearl. “Pearl is a shimmering white braces color tie that blends in well with tooth color and rarely stains. It always looks good, no matter what you wear.”

We Look Forward To Seeing You Again!

At Gorczyca Orthodontics, no matter who you are or what your fashion situation is on Halloween or afterwards, we are available Monday through Friday to change your braces color ties in case of need or emergency.

We want all of our patients to be happy. And we certainly don’t want your Halloween color tie selection to be your biggest life regret! THAT’S SCARY!

Happy Halloween from all of us at Gorczyca Orthodontics.

Gorczyca Orthodontics, 5201 Deer Valley Road, Suite 1A, Antioch, CA 925-757-9000.

HERE IT COMES! The season of ghosts, ghouls, witches, and, of course… candy! If you’re savvy about it, there’s no reason for your Halloween fun to come at the expense of your dental health.

FIRST OF ALL we’d like to very strongly urge all of our patients in braces to check the forbidden-foods list. We don’t want to see anyone coming in for braces repairs thanks to a candied apple, or chewy taffy. Don’t take these tips as an endorsement to eat foods that can hurt your teeth and braces.

Secondly, whether you’re in braces right now, or you’re finished with treatment, keep these tips in mind as this Halloween season approaches, to keep your teeth happy and healthy.

Rule 1: A Little Candy All At Once Is Better Than Candy All Day Long

When it comes to your oral health, if you must have some candy, a little “candy-binge” is better than grazing on that Halloween loot all day long (or all month long!). Our mouths are always working to restore optimal pH balance and to utilize our saliva to cleanse our smiles. So enjoy your candy once, and then brush and floss.

Rule 2: Keep Eating Good, Healthy Meals

Continue eating three nutritious, square meals a day. This has two purposes. First, being full of good food will make you less likely to indulge too much in unhealthy candy. Second, eating a little candy with a meal continues to stimulate saliva production, and helps your mouth clean itself and restore a good balance.

Rule 3: There’s Bad Candy... And There’s Worse Candy

Some candies are more harmful than others. The biggest bad candies you need to watch out for are:

• Sour ones, which are loaded with acid.
• Chewy ones that stick on and between your teeth for a long time.
• Hard ones, like suckers, that rest on your teeth for long periods of time—and can crack or chip teeth.

Chocolate Can Be A Less Harmful Choice

On the other hand, most chocolates, especially dark chocolates, may be better for your teeth than those listed above. Chocolate dissolves quickly and doesn’t linger as long on your teeth.

Contrary to popular belief, not all dentists hand out toothbrushes and floss at Halloween. Over half say that they give out candy. And of those who give out candy, about 80% of them choose to hand out chocolate over other candies.

If You Have A Little Extra Time...

Of course, there are some fun non-candy options for Halloween treats, too. You can check some of them out by clicking here.

Have A Happy Halloween!

Call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics (925) 757-9000 in Antioch, California for a free orthodontic exam. Visit us at www.clubbraces.com to learn more about our orthodontic practice, customer service team, and teeth.

Here’s to a safe and healthy Halloween.

BOBBING FOR APPLES is a game often played on Halloween. Fill a large tub with water and less dense apples will float. Catch the apples with your teeth with your hands behind your back. What fun!

Bobbing for Apples Around the World

Bobbing is called "dooking" (i.e. ducking) in Scotland. In Northern England, bobbing for apples is called apple ducking or duck-apple. In Ireland, mainly in Kerry County, apple bobbing is known as Snap Apple. In Newfoundland and Labrador, Snap Apple Night is Halloween.

The tradition of bobbing for apples dates back to the Roman invasion of Britain. Young unmarried people would try to bite into the apple by either bobbing for or eating an apple hanging on the string. Those who were successful were thought to be the next to marry.

Bobbing For Apples? Braces Beware!

If you have braces, DON'T play bobbing for apples! Your braces will break off. This is no fun at all! You will need to go back to your orthodontic office for an emergency appointment. This may produce upset parents and teachers. There may even be an orthodontic charge to replace your carelessly broken braces. YIKES!

Look On The Bright Side

Although you cannot bob for apples with braces, look on the bright side. By not bobbing for apples, you will be avoiding an unsanitary game where a number of individuals have placed their entire heads, mouths, and saliva into the same bowl of water. In addition, you will avoiding the Roman belief that you will be marrying soon, in addition to not breaking your orthodontic brackets.

Gorczyca Orthodontics, Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Antioch, California 929-757-9000 www.clubbraces.com

To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

TRICK-OR-TREATING is said to have originated from the medieval practice of “mumming,” a Northern European practice of masked persons parading the streets and visiting neighboring houses on feast days. In North America, “guising” was first reported in 1911 in Kingston, Ontario where disguised children visited house-to-house around the neighborhood. The term “trick-or-treat” first appears in 1927 in the Blackie Herald newspaper of Alberta, Canada. The treat soon became known to be an oral health nightmare, candy.

Trick-Or-Treating Provides A Variety Of Treats

Trick-or-treating is a fun activity. Children, with and without braces, will recieve a myriad of Halloween treats. An apple may be given. Some homes may give a fruit or granola bar. Generous relatives may even distribute a coin. Dentists may give a toothbrush. But most homes will be giving out candy.

The question arises “What should I eat on Halloween if I have braces?”

Be Mindful Of Halloween Snacks If You Have Braces

Although apples are a healthy treat, care must be given to cut the apples into small bite size pieces in order to not break off the orthodontic brackets.

Chewy, sticky, hard candy is to be avoided. This includes Starbursts, jawbreakers, Twizzlers, skittles, and gum. Chewy sticky hard candy will not only break your orthodontic brackets but also loosen your orthodontic bands.

Nuts in general are to be avoided. These can be found in not only granola bars that are hard with big nuts but also in some candies such as Almond Joys.

What Treats Can Someone In Braces Eat On Halloween?

Orthodontist, Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California weighs in on her favorite Halloween treats: "I recommend Mounds candy as a choice for kids in braces. These are soft bars of mostly coconut with a soft chocolate covering. Mounds are very unlikely to break orthodontic brackets or loosen bands. My second favorite candy choice for kids in braces is Junior Mints. This candy is soft, small, and easy to eat with braces.

We at Gorczyca Orthodontics give out Halloween toothbrushes to trick-or-treaters. They are orange with black bristles. Now, that's scary!

Soft candies are fine to eat with braces as long as you remember to floss and brush your teeth afterwards. To maintain excellent oral hygiene and remain cavity free, be sure to brush and floss your teeth twice a day, not only on Halloween but every day of the year."

Happy Halloween from all of us at Gorczyca Orthodontics!

www.clubbraces.com