October is National Dental Hygiene Month, as well as National Orthodontic Health Month! We are excited for fall weather and all of the celebrations and holidays right around the corner! Halloween is quickly approaching, and we have partnered with our friends at Smith Orthodontics to come up with some great candy alternatives to have on hand this spooky season! Whether it is for school snacks or your neighborhood trick-or-treaters, here are some braces-friendly, non-candy ideas all kids (and parents) will love!
Halloween Fruit/Veggie Cups:
Decorate clear cups with the faces of Frankenstein, a friendly ghost and a Jack O’Lantern and fill with celery, cauliflower and carrots accordingly!
Apple Sauce Pouches:
Decorate your child’s favorite on-the-go snack to look like a mummy, pumpkin, monster, or any Halloween favorite!
Ghostly Cheese Sticks:
While so very simple, it is such an easy treat for school! Have your kiddo help draw ghost faces on mozzarella sticks, and serve with pumpkin shaped crackers!
Mummified Fruit:
Wrap bananas, oranges, apples, pears – you name it! – in gauze! Make it extra fun by gluing googley eyes on the front as well!
Candy Corn Fruit Cup:
Layer mandarin oranges, pineapple and sugar-free whipped cream to “trick” the kids into enjoying a sweet treat that is good for them, too!
Pumpkin Treats:
Having a pre-packaged handout for trick-or-treaters is quick and easy with this one! Pick up fruit cups from the grocery store filled with yummy mandarin oranges, and draw Jack O’Lanterns on the top of the plastic cover! Works with oranges and clementines too! Cute and easy to toss in any trick-or-treater’s bag!
Bat Pudding Cups:
Another easy pre-packaged snack that will make your kids think they are being spoiled is pudding cups! Sugar-free pudding cups adorned with paper bat wings and googley eyes are adorable and fun to make!
Of course, it’s bound that your children will receive some sweet treats too! So remind them to brush at least twice a day, and always after snacking on something sugary! For those with braces, avoiding caramels, gummy candies, hard candy and popcorn will be extremely important this Halloween as well!
Dr. Brian’s orthodontic dream began when he was just five years old. A few decades later, he is now thrilled to pick up the torch and carry on his dad’s 30-year legacy of orthodontic excellence in Wichita.
After receiving his dental degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2007, Dr. Brian was accepted into an advanced education program where he completed a year of specialized dental training. He then moved on to an internship with the world-renowned Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic in Pennsylvania. In 2011, Dr. Brian received his orthodontic certificate and Master’s degree from Indiana University. The combination of these distinctive experiences has developed Dr. Brian into a well-rounded orthodontist who strives for “more than a smile” with each patient he sees. Passionate about helping those in need in our community and across the world, Dr. Brian has volunteered in several public health clinics and has also taken dental outreach trips to Central and South America.
