By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert
If your family is like the Eggert clan, your little ones look forward to Halloween with giddy anticipation. Even Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff have been known to sneak a piece of candy or two from their kids’ treat buckets. An occasional treat isn’t going to do much damage, but binging on Halloween candy can wreak havoc on your teeth (and your kids’ teeth, too). Here’s our list of the best and worst Halloween candy for your choppers.
Halloween Candy: The Good
Chocolate tops the list of candy that’s compatible with your teeth. It’s also one of the most popular Halloween candies. Chocolate itself isn’t sticky like many other candies, so it washes off your teeth easily.
Sugar-free candies are also excellent options. Sucking on a sugar-free lollipop or hard candy stimulates the production of saliva, which helps to wash away the food bacteria eats. Sugar-free gum is a good choice, too.
Halloween Candy: The Bad
While sugar-free candies are good, sugary hard candies and lollipops are not. They produce saliva like their sugar-free counterparts, but the sugar from the candy gets absorbed by your saliva and washes over your teeth.
Sour candy is also one to avoid. These types of candies are highly acidic in addition to being sticky and coated in a layer of sugar. The acidity can break down the enamel in your teeth, leaving them at risk of cavities and gum disease.
Halloween Candy: The Ugly
But the worst culprits in your kid’s Halloween treat bucket are chewy, sticky candies. Gummy bears, fruity candy, taffy, licorice, and other sticky treats get caught between your kids’ teeth. They can linger there for days, providing a sugary feast for bacteria. That’s why chewy, sticky candies are the worst Halloween candies for your teeth.
Halloween’s a fun time, and we all enjoy a sugary treat or two from our kids’ treat buckets. Brushing, flossing, and recare appointments throughout the year can help protect your teeth during the spookiest time of year. Schedule your family’s recare appointment today.