With Halloween approaching, are you concerned your kiddos will eat too much candy and harm their teeth? There are certain types of sweets that cause more irreparable damage to their young teeth, sugars break down your teeth enamel, so prolonged sweets in the mouth could lead to decay. Don’t worry, we did the research and have a detailed list of candy do and don’ts.
The Worst Candy for Teeth
According to the American Dental Association these are four main kinds of sweets that cause more tooth decay. The four categories are sticky, gummy, hard, and sour.
1. Sticky Candy
Sticky or tacky candies, such as a caramels or taffies are more likely to get lodged in between kiddos teeth. Due to their tacky consistency they are more likely to stay attached in between and on teeth even after teeth are brushed. The longer the sweet sticks to the teeth, the more potential for damage there is.
2. Gummy Candy
Gummy candies, similarly to sticky candies can get stuck in between molars and remain there for elongated periods of time. This includes gummy worms, bears, and fruits.
3. Hard Candy
Hard candies, like a butterscotch disk grandma always seems to have in her purse or a lemon drop requires the kiddos to suck on the candy for a period. During that period your teeth are getting coated in sugar. Not only are your teeth taking a short bath in sugar, these hard candies also run the risk of possibly chipping a tooth (even though it is rare).
4. Sour Candy
Sour candies pose multiple risks to your kiddos teeth. Candies like warheads, not only require you to suck for a prolonged period, but the acidity of the candy also breaks down enamel. When these candies wear down your enamel, it makes you more susceptible to cavities.
However, also be weary of caramel corn and popcorn balls. Although they may seem like a better alternative, corn kernels have a nasty habit of getting lodged in between teeth, especially molars. Like stick or gummy candies the kernels have the possibility to sitting in between teeth for hours or days drastically increasing your kiddos risk of a cavity.
“Teeth Safe” Candy
Alas, there is one sweet that causes less tooth decay… Chocolate. It is one on the most popular candies given out at Halloween, so you and your kiddos have lucked out. Chocolate is less likely to get stick on between teeth and it wipes off your teeth easier. By no means should you deprive your kiddos of all of the Halloween fun, just make sure that they are brushing their teeth at least twice a day and flossing every day to minimize the effects of sweets.
Have Extra Candy… We’ll Take It!
Every year, all of our Kids Care Dental & Orthodontics locations buy candy from kiddos as a way to help give every kid a healthy smile. So from November 1st through November 5th, bring your child and their unopened candy to our practice and receive $1 per pound (up to 5lbs). The candy will be donated to local organizations and used for local outreach. Have questions? Give us a call at 844-616-5437.
