Timothy Chase, D.M.D., shares the best and worst Halloween candy for your children to eat to maintain good oral health at Halloween.
As Halloween approaches, children will be scared of costumes, ghost stories, and goblins, while parents are scared of all the candy their kids will bring home. Small treats in the doctor’s office or the workplace start to pop up and we cannot help but spoil ourselves in these sugary indulgences.
When it comes to Halloween, not all treats are created equal—certain candies can be completely detrimental to your smile while others are less of a threat.
According to Timothy Chase, D.M.D., a practicing partner in SmilesNY, a leading cosmetic dentistry practice in New York City, shares the worst and best Halloween candies to eat:
Worst Halloween Candies For Your Child’s Teeth
Taffy and candies filled with caramel, coconut, or nuts: They stick to everything inside of your mouth, including the grooves of your teeth. The longer a food sticks to your teeth, the longer bacteria can feed on it, which could produce cavity-causing acid.
Hard candy such as lollipops or jawbreakers: Although they do not stick to your mouth, they take a long time to dissolve. The longer a food stays in your mouth, the more acidic the environment becomes.
Sour candy: It has a higher acidic content, which can break down tooth enamel.
Powdery candy such as Pixie Stix: While it dissolves quickly in the mouth and don’t require chewing, it contains nothing but sugar and can lead to cavities by changing the mouth’s PH and giving bacteria straight sugar to eat.
Best Halloween Candies For Your Child’s Teeth
Chocolate, with no sticky fillings: It will generally not stick to your teeth and therefore it is a much better option if you have the urge for a sweet snack.
Sugar-free gum: It leaves no sticky residue, which causes plaque, and it is sweetened with xylitol, a natural sugar that bacteria is unable to form plaque on.
Of course, if possible it would be much better to put down the candy and grab a piece of fruit.
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