The holidays provide an excuse to make everyday activities a little brighter. One example of imparting the festive spirit is to have holiday fun with braces. When kids get braces, they often hear about all of the foods they can’t eat, activities they must avoid, and the responsibilities they must take on for ensuring good oral health. You can have holiday fun with both silver and ceramic braces; so take the opportunity to flip the script this holiday season and implement a few of the ideas below to have holiday fun with braces during this joyful time of year!

Holiday fun with colored braces 

You already know that at Bruno Orthodontics, we encourage our braces patients to visit on a regular schedule to receive adjustments. During these visits, bands can be changed out and patients can choose new colors and designs. Get creative this holiday season by choosing colored bands themed after the holidays, such as red and green for Christmas, blue and white for Hanukkah, or red, green, and black to symbolize the seven candles used during Kwanzaa. 

Make healthy holiday treats

The American Association of Orthodontists has placed a few holiday-favorite foods on the “naughty” list, including caramels, popcorn, and lollipops. If a treat is sticky, crunchy, or hard, chances are it’s not the best choice for those with braces. While we typically think of celebrating the holidays with sugary treats, such as frosted cakes, gingerbread cookies, and candy canes, there are plenty of healthy treats that can impart fun and good oral health. Encourage your kiddos to expand beyond the four main food groups that elves love: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrups, and whip up a few fun and healthy treats.

Holiday Layered Smoothie

Layered smoothies are nutritious, promote oral health, and are fun for the holidays. You can theme your smoothie after your favorite holiday colors. Simply fill a blender with colorful fruits and make three separate blends to give your smoothie a layered look. Blend the following to make these gorgeous colors:

Green: Spinach and kiwi

Red: Strawberries and raspberries

White: Coconut and pineapple

Blue: Blueberries 

Black: Blackberries 

Mix any of the fruits above with your choice of milk, protein powder, and a frozen banana. To keep the colors separate, pour ⅓ of the mixture into a glass and freeze for five minutes before adding the second layer. Repeat for the third layer and top with whipped cream.

Strawberry Santa Hats

This recipe is so easy it barely qualifies as a recipe. Start by cutting the tops off of your strawberries. Next, melt white candy melts or white chocolate in a double boiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prepare for the next step. Dip the flat-end of the strawberry into the white chocolate and then into flaked sweetened coconut. Afterwards, place the strawberry, white chocolate side down, on the sheet. Repeat until all of your strawberries are dipped. Top with a dollop of whipped cream or ricotta for the pom pom on the hat. 

Gifts for kids with braces

While it can be tough to have braces during the holiday season, Santa can sneak a few fun gifts into kids’ stockings to make them feel special. The elves in Santa’s workshop have come up with some fun designs for toothbrush travel cases, toothbrushes, and dental hygiene products. Colored floss and fun floss dispensers are a great way to get kids excited about taking care of their teeth. There are also lots of dental accessories themed after kids’ favorite characters. Santa particularly loves gifting fun travel cases filled with a travel-sized toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. These are especially useful during the busy travel season.