What’s Halloween without trick-or-treating and what’s trick-or-treating without a piece of candy or two…or four or six or…? When it comes to candy and dental care, not all sugars are equal. Some candy is actually good candy, ok well let’s say “better than other candy,” as it relates to your teeth.
To be clear, sugar is the enemy of dental hygiene because it leads to tooth decay and we all know that candy is high in sugar. (That’s what makes it taste so good!) But some candy options are better than others so if you have the option to choose, choose with your dental health in mind. After all, you only get one set of teeth!
Devilish Candy to Avoid:
- Sticky, chewy candy such as gummies, licorice, Tootsie Rolls, and taffies because they are harder to remove from the teeth
- Hard candy like lollipops and Jolly Ranchers because you tend to suck on them longer and expose your teeth to the sugar for longer periods of time. You can also crack or break a tooth on hard candies.
- Sour candies because not only does the sugar lead to tooth decay, the sour flavoring can break down tooth enamel and leave teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay.
Less Scary Sweets:
- Chocolate easily washes off teeth and dark chocolate is even better because it contains less sugar.
- Sugar-free candy which stimulates saliva production to help wash out your mouth but without excess sugar.
- Candy with nuts because the nuts help scrape any stickiness off the teeth as well as break up plaque.