Be Candy Conscious & avoid Tooth decay

Most parents take great care to monitor their children’s sugar intake, but Halloween is the one time of year when the rules of dental care are often broken. The endless candy from trick-or-treating can wreak havoc on teeth, so when a dentist tells parents their children’s teeth show signs of decay it obviously comes as an unpleasant surprise. Common culprits of tooth decay are soda pop, candy, ice cream, milk, and cakes. Therefore, Halloween candy is public enemy #1 when it comes to teeth.

To avoid negative impacts from candy, here are some tips to scare away tooth decay nightmares any time of year.

Limit Candy Consumption: To avoid some of the post-holiday excess, ask kids to sort their candy into piles: one for the treats that they don't like much and the other for the sweets they love. Then consider giving the candy in the pile they don’t like to a nursing home, local food kitchen, etc.

Lessen Amount of Time Sugar is Present in Mouth: Eat the candy quickly in one sitting to decrease the amount of time it is contact with the teeth. Avoid eating any candy slowly over an extended time or over multiple sittings.


Avoid sticky candy such as taffy, gummy bears, caramel, etc. Sticky candy adheres to teeth and causes decay.

Consume the candy with a meal. This is important if brushing right after consuming candy is not possible. The increased saliva production while eating will help wash the sweet off the teeth.

Wash it down. When eating Halloween candy, make sure to finish it off with a big glass of water, which will clean sugar residue off the teeth.

Chew a sugarless gum (especially those containing xylitol) after snacking on candy. The increased saliva from chewing will help wash the sugar off the teeth and xylitol gums help control the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Be a label snob. Read food labels carefully to identify sugars, which also come in the form of corn syrup, molasses, dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose and honey. Even an innocent breath mint can be made of pure sugar that can cause cavities.

Chocolate lovers rejoice. If trying to rationalize a chocolate craving, remember that popping a piece of solid chocolate in your mouth is better than choosing one filled with a gooey center, as the candy filling may stick to the teeth and provide a longer lasting food source for the natural bacteria to feed from in the mouth.

Mind your whole body. Halloween comes but once a year, but even several days of excess sugar can wreak havoc not just on your teeth, but elsewhere in the body too. Too much sweet stuff can cause blood sugar to spike and cause an energy crash later on. Look after your dental and general health by regularly reading all the ingredients in all packaged foods before you buy them and seeking out low-sugar alternatives.

Pay attention to what toothpaste/mouthwash your kids are using. These products should not contain alcohol or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

Disclosure -These tips were compiled from information provided by The Natural Dentist and ChicagoHealers.com Practitioner, Dr. Raymond Hatland, DDS.
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