Candy Causes Cavities

Here’s a scary thought for you this Halloween: you may need to limit your candy intake. 

You’ve heard it a million times—candy and sugar are bad for your teeth, they cause your teeth to rot—but is it true? Almost 600 million pounds of candy is purchased every year for Halloween, with the average American consuming 3.4 pounds over Halloween for themselves. Little trick-or-treaters are ingesting about 3 cups of sugar when they get home with their bags of treats. Can it be that bad? What’s the candy effect on your teeth? You’ll find out here.

How Does Sugar Harm Your Teeth?

The truth about sugar is not that it rots your teeth itself, but the bacteria that feeds on sugar (streptococcus) breaks down into acids that eat your tooth enamel, which can lead to tooth decay. So, if you want to be strict about it, the less sugar you eat, the less streptococcus has to eat, and therefore the less acid it will produce to cause decay. 

[Related: Tooth Pain]

How to Keep Your Teeth Healthy During Halloween

But we all know that no one is giving up Halloween candy anytime soon, so what can you do to keep your teeth healthy this Holiday season? 

Here are a few tips.

Limit Intake of Sticky or Chewy Candy

Speaking of candy effect on teeth, the first advice is key. Limit the amount of candies you eat. Beware of sticky candies or hard candies that aren’t sugar free. Sticky candies like caramels, laffy-taffy, candy corns have a tendency to stick to your teeth and stay there for a long time because they are harder for saliva to wash away. Hard candies, like hard caramels or jolly ranchers also keep sugar swishing around the mouth. The longer sugar is present in the mouth, the more time bacteria has to feed.

Brush, Brush, Brush

Brush and floss your teeth (an oldie, but a goodie)! Wash and rinse away the sugars and bacteria from your mouth after you’re done consuming that Snickers.

Focus on Portions

Be aware of how much you are eating, most of us tend to graze with all that candy lying around.  A Butterfinger here, a Baby Ruth there…it all adds up to more sugar and more food for bacteria.

[Related: New Year’s Resolutions For a Happy and Healthy Smile]

Opt for Sugar-Free

Eat sugar-free candies. Hard sugar-free candies are actually beneficial for your oral health this time of year. These candies stimulate saliva flow, which can help wash away some of the acid in the mouth and prevent dry mouth (which can allow plaque to build faster on teeth).

Drink More Water

Drinking water might seem like the solution to everything, but that isn’t far from the truth. Drinking water will not only wash away the remnants of sticky candy on your teeth, but will make you feel full and help you avoid overeating sugar sweets.

See Your Dentist

Try to make sure you get in for a good cleaning this holiday season, and regularly. This will keep your smile looking great in all your photos, and to give your teeth a break after all the sugar and treats you are likely to consume!

[Related: Periodontal Disease and Cardiovascular Health]

Just remember, everything in moderation. Have fun, but remember to be good to your body, your teeth, and your health.

Contact Cascadia Dental Specialists today and keep your teeth and oral hygiene in tip-top shape this spooky season!