Royal Oak and Birmingham, MI
The trick-or-treating season is here, and so are the sugary, sticky sweets that children and parents love. Halloween is a festive season full of treats that can pack a punch to your smile, especially when the bag or container sits in an area where you’re constantly tempted to snag a piece. However, not all Halloween candy is created equal when it comes to the effects on your oral health. Therefore, our Royal Oak family dentist, Dr. Nancy Hartrick, shares on the blog today eight Halloween treats and their impact on your smile so that you can make good choices that protect your oral health.
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Gummy candy
Gummy candy is one of the worst Halloween treats for your smile. Not only is the concoction high in sugar, but the sticky substance takes a long time to chew and often gets lodged in tooth crevices, between your teeth, and around your gums. It also requires you to chew it longer before digesting it, which increases sugar exposure to your teeth.
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Caramel
Caramel is a seasonal favorite for many people, especially when it’s drizzled over an apple. And fortunately, the sticky substance takes a long time to dissolve and remains on your teeth. That means bacteria have a stable food source and can continue secreting tooth enamel damaging acids.
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Tacky Candy
Candy that’s harder to chew but is still sticky, like Starbursts or taffy, can get stuck in your teeth. But, these sneaky candies have also been known to dislodge dental work like crowns and fillings. Furthermore, allowing candy to dissolve in your mouth bathes your teeth and gums in sugar for a prolonged period of time.
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Lollipops and Suckers
On most occasions, lollipops and suckers are consumed over a long period. In some cases, the treats are large with added sugary decorations that can be a double whammy to your oral health. With heightened acidic and sugar levels, your smile may receive more damage than other candy options.
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Powder Candy
Candy that comes in the fun format of powder can be hard to resist. Unfortunately, powder candy products are extremely acidic and can eat away at tooth enamel without the presence of bacteria. Fortunately, water is an excellent counterbalance to highly acidic foods, so when you eat powder candies, drink water to help flush away the acids.
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Sugar-free Candy
It’s a common misconception that sugar-free candy does not affect your oral health. Even though sugar-free candy may have a reduced sugar to no sugar content, it can also contain higher citric acid levels. Therefore, although the sugar won’t attack your tooth enamel, the acids could.
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Chocolate
Chocolate is a smooth concoction that comes in various flavors: white, sweet, semi-sweet, and dark. Since chocolate easily melts in your mouth, it fails to stick to tooth crevices and doesn’t get stuck in your teeth. Also, with reduced sugar exposure to your teeth, chocolate reduces the harmful effects Halloween candy can cause on oral health. It’s best to opt for dark chocolate since it contains the least amount of sugar.
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Caramel Apples
Caramel apples are a Halloween staple treat that can be good and bad for your oral health. The caramel coating is sticky and high in sugar content, although the apple can help clean tooth surfaces from the sticky substance.
Enjoying Halloween snacks and treats on the day of the holiday won’t destroy your smile. However, parents should encourage their children to make good decisions about their candy choices to help protect their teeth and gums. After you eat your holiday treats, limit yourself and family members to one piece a day or donate the remainder of your candy.
Family Dentist in Royal Oak and Birmingham, Michigan
Contact Hartrick Dentistry to help keep your oral health in tiptop shape this fall season. Please call our office at (248) 549-0950 or contact us online to schedule preventative treatment today.