As part of October’s National Orthodontic Health Month, celebrity pastry chef Gale Gand, known for her sweet creations on the Food Network’s Sweet Dreams show, has teamed up with the AAO to provide braces-friendly Halloween recipes for the more than 5 million children and adults in North America who currently wear braces.

"I love to cook, but when my 10-year-old son, Gio, recently got braces, I had to make modifications to some of our favorite recipes," Gand said. The braces-friendly recipes we’ve come up with—Apples and Spice Cobbler and Peanut Butter Eyeballs—allow him to enjoy the holiday without causing harm to his braces. Plus, they are fun to make together."

"Eating food that could harm a patient’s braces may affect treatment length and results, just as if they were not tending to oral hygiene or wearing their rubber bands," said William C. Gaylord, DDS, president of the AAO. "If orthodontic patients are careful about the Halloween treats they eat, they can avoid damage to their braces and should be able to finish treatment on time and with good results."

Gand’s recipes and other tips are available at www.braces.org.