Halloween Candy: Best and Worst for your oral health?
Happy Halloween! Treating yourself to extra candy consumption on Halloween night is understandable, as long as you are also keeping up with daily oral health maintenance via brushing and flossing. To help you assess the loot of sweets with your teeth in mind, below are some common candies and their general impact:
- Chocolate: the best for your oral health, as it washes off your teeth easier than most other sweets
- Hard Candies: may break your teeth if you try to chomp down on them; they also tend to stay in your mouth for a longer time period, so the sugar gets into your saliva and washes over your teeth
- Sour Candies: can be very acidic, which can weaken and damage the exterior surface of your teeth, making them more vulnerable to cavities
- Popcorn Balls: kernels may get stuck in between your teeth; may also be very sticky, sugary, and hard
- Gummies: the worst for your teeth, as they tend to stick to the surface of your teeth for a longer period of time and are harder to remove
With this knowledge, here are some additional tips for a cavity-free Halloween:
- Avoid snacking on your candy throughout the day – eat your candy with meals if possible
- Choose your candy carefully – avoid those that may affect your teeth (see above)
- Limit your stash – consider donating your candy to others, or even to troops overseas, through Operation Gratitude
- Drink more water – preferably fluoridated
- Chew sugarless gum – the increased saliva flow helps rinse your teeth and neutralize acid produced by bacteria
To read more:
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/h/halloween-tips
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/h/halloween-candy-survival-guide