Boo! Best and Worst Candy for Your Children’s Teeth

As you get your kids’ costumes ready for Halloween night, you feel overwhelmed just imagining the amount of candy they will likely collect. Not only will these sugary treats make your children hyper, but many of these candies can also make developing cavities more probable. How can you ensure that your children’s smiles can stay healthy through this holiday? What are the types of candy that you should keep an eye out for the most? In this blog post, you’ll learn the best and worse candy for your children’s teeth.

Hard Candy

Your child keeps hard candy in their mouth for a long time as their saliva breaks down the sugar molecules. That gives the harmful bacteria in your child’s mouth more time to feed on the sugar and produce the acids that erode tooth enamel. As a result, you can try to encourage your child to avoid this type of candy.

Sticky or Gummy Candy

Sticky is a perfect description of this type of candy. It can easily stick to your child’s teeth, be more difficult to remove, and become fuel for cavity-causing bacteria. Limit the amount of sticky or gummy candy your child eats.

Sour Candy

Not only are sour candies typically coated in sugar, but they are also generally very acidic. This means that your child’s teeth will have even more acids to deal with. If your child likes this particular type of candy, limit its consumption to keep the acidity levels under control.

Popcorn Balls

At first glance, popcorn balls may seem like a healthier alternative to candy, but when it comes to your child’s teeth, this treat presents some problems. The popcorn is usually coated in a sticky, sugary caramel or syrup, and the kernel shells can easily get stuck between your child’s teeth or between the gum tissue and the tooth.

Chocolate

Believe it or not, chocolate is perhaps the best candy for your child’s oral health. Its sugars usually wash away much sooner than with other sugary treats. Because of its lower sugar content, dark chocolate is relatively innocuous compared to other candy choices. Unless the chocolate bar has caramel or other sticky ingredients, feel free to let your child eat this Halloween favorite.

Good Oral Habits

Ultimately, the type of candy that your child eats matters less than their ability to remove the sugars from their mouth. They can do this by brushing and flossing their teeth every day. If you are going to allow them to eat candy, try to time it around meal times, when saliva production is already heightened. Also, encourage your child to drink sips of water throughout the day to help wash away food particles and bacteria. If your child is due for their dental checkup and cleaning appointment, make sure that they attend.

Your children’s costumes can be scary, but you shouldn’t be afraid when you look at their smiles. If you follow the advice mentioned here, your children’s teeth should be able to stay healthy even through the barrage of sugar that will ensue after Halloween night.

About the Practice

At Edgewood Dental, patients of all ages are welcome! Dr. Valerie Haughtington and Dr. Vidas Noreika make every effort to make dental visits as positive as possible—especially for young patients. In fact, Dr. Haughtington decided to become a dentist after she had a negative experience at one dentist’s office and a positive one with a sensitive dentist. To schedule your child’s dental appointment at Edgewood Dental, you can call or click here.