Candy gets complicated when you’re wearing braces. Something that seems harmless can be surprisingly sticky once you start chewing it. Other candies are hard enough to put unnecessary pressure on brackets or wires. And then there are the treats that are generally easier to manage, as long as you don’t go overboard.
Halloween tends to bring all of this to the surface, but the question comes up year-round: What candy can you eat with braces?
The simplest rule is to think soft, easy to chew and not sticky. Your orthodontist’s instructions should always come first, but if you’re staring at a pile of candy trying to decide what’s more braces-friendly, here’s where to start.
What Candy Can You Eat With Braces?
Soft chocolate is generally one of the easier choices because it melts quickly and doesn’t require much chewing.
A few examples include:
Plain Chocolate
Plain milk or dark chocolate without nuts, caramel or other hard pieces is usually easier on braces than crunchy or sticky candy.
Hershey’s Kisses and plain chocolate bars are good examples. Letting chocolate soften in your mouth instead of biting into it can make things even easier.
Plain M&M’s
Here’s another common question: Can you eat M&M’s with braces?
Plain M&M’s have a thin candy shell surrounding chocolate, so they’re quite different from M&M varieties containing whole peanuts or other hard ingredients. Rather than crunching down aggressively, let them soften a little first.
Peanut M&M’s and other varieties containing nuts are a different story. Those hard centers are better avoided.
Peanut Butter Cups
Peanut butter cups are soft and don’t have the whole nuts that make some other candy bars troublesome for braces.
They’re still candy, of course. The fact that something is easier on braces doesn’t make it harmless to your teeth, so moderation and cleaning afterward still matter.
Soft Mint Patties
Soft chocolate-covered mint treats such as peppermint patties can also be easier to chew than hard mints or sticky candy.
Be more cautious with anything especially chewy. Even candies that seem soft at first can become sticky as you eat them.
Other Soft Treats
It doesn’t have to come out of a candy wrapper. Ice cream without hard mix-ins, soft baked treats and smoothies can satisfy a sweet tooth without the crunch of nuts or hard candy.
Just keep the bigger dental-health picture in mind. Sugar still feeds the bacteria involved in tooth decay, whether it comes from something hard, soft or frozen. Our article about candy and teeth explains more about what all that sugar can do.
Can You Eat Twix With Braces?
We get very specific here because plenty of people want to know. Twix is not one of the candies we’d put on the braces-friendly list.
The problem isn’t simply the chocolate. Twix contains both a crunchy cookie and sticky caramel. That combination can be difficult around brackets and wires, and the caramel can cling to places that aren’t particularly easy to clean.
If Twix happens to be your favorite candy, this may be one worth saving for after the braces come off, or asking your orthodontist about rather than taking the chance.
Candy to Avoid With Braces
Some treats are simply much tougher on braces than others.
Sticky and Chewy Candy
Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls, chewy caramels and similar candies can pull against brackets and wires as you chew.
They’re also good at sticking around afterward, and not in a good way. Sugary candy trapped around braces makes cleaning your teeth considerably harder.
Caramel
Caramel deserves its own mention because it appears in so many popular candy bars.
It’s sticky, stretches as you chew and can work its way around brackets and wires. Twix, caramel chews and heavily caramel-filled chocolates are better left alone while wearing braces unless your orthodontist tells you otherwise.
Hard Candy
Hard candy creates a different problem.
Biting into it can put considerable force on braces. Letting hard candy dissolve instead avoids the crunch, but then your teeth are exposed to sugar for a longer period.
Neither option makes it especially appealing from a dental-health standpoint.
Nuts and Candy With Nuts
Whole nuts are hard enough to make biting down on them risky for brackets and wires.
That includes candy bars packed with nuts as well as candies such as peanut M&M’s.
Licorice
Twizzlers and similar chewy licorice can stretch, stick and work their way around braces. That makes them another treat we’d put in the “skip it for now” pile.
Brace-Friendly Doesn’t Mean Tooth-Friendly
This is the part that’s easy to overlook. A piece of soft chocolate may be less likely to cause trouble for your braces than a sticky caramel, but both contain sugar.
Braces also create plenty of little spaces where food and plaque can collect. That makes good brushing especially important.
Take your time when cleaning around brackets and along the gumline, and don’t let flossing disappear from your routine simply because it’s more cumbersome with braces. We have more tips on how to keep your teeth healthy with braces
Water is a good choice after sweets, too. It doesn’t replace brushing, but rinsing your mouth with water can help clear away some leftover food and sugar.
Enjoy the Candy. Just Be Selective.
Having braces doesn’t mean every sweet treat is off limits.
Pick softer options. Avoid the obvious troublemakers, especially sticky caramel, hard candy, nuts and very chewy treats. Don’t spend the entire day grazing on sugar. And when you’re finished, give your teeth some attention.
Your orthodontist should be your source for instructions about protecting your particular braces and appliances. For routine preventive dental care, Shorewood Family Dental Care is here to help keep the teeth underneath those braces healthy.
If you’re looking for a kids dentist near Joliet for regular exams and cleanings, call Shorewood Family Dental Care at 815-725-5991 to schedule an appointment.
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Originally published October 1, 2019. Updated August 15, 2026.
