Halloween Candy Survival Guide

It’s that time of year again! Ghost, zombies, candy, and cavities! All kids want to get loads of Halloween candy when they trick-or-treat. But as a parent, you know that eating too much candy is not good for your child.

Halloween is actually a good time to teach your kids good oral health practices without depriving them of their treasured Halloween goodies.

To prevent cavities and gingivitis, reinforce proper brushing and flossing habits while making sure they have proper brushing and flossing techniques. This will prevent cavities and remove oral bacteria that love to feed on sugar. Allow your kids to enjoy their treats in moderation by setting a Halloween treat time. Taking your kids' candy away can lead them to try to sneak candy or eat too much at once.

There are also a good, bad, and worse Halloween treats. Here is a guide to help you sort through the trick-or-treat loot:

Chocolate

Chocolate is one the most popular kind of candy handed at to trick-or-treaters. Fortunately, they are also the better candies. Chocolate washes off your teeth easier than other types of candy. (FYI: Dark chocolate has less sugar then milk chocolate.)

Sticky and Gummy Candy

If it’s sticky be picky. These are some of the worst candies for your teeth. This candy is hardest to remove. It can get stuck in crevasses and hard too reach places on your teeth. Sticky and gummy candy may stay longer on your teeth, allowing cavity-causing bacteria more time to work.

Hard Candy

Hard candies are also ones to be more cautious of. If you are not careful, they can break your teeth. Although this candy doesn’t get stuck on your teeth, this candy stays in your mouth longer. As it dissolves, the sugars are mixing with your saliva and washing over your teeth.

Sour Candy

Sour candy is also one of the candies you should avoid, especially if they are sticky and coated with sugar. Sour candy has a higher acidic content. This can weaken and damage tooth enamel and in turn make your teeth more vulnerable to cavities.

Sugar-Free Candy

You may have varying opinions on sugar-free candy in terms of nutrition; but in terms of oral health, sugar-free candy may be the best treat this Halloween season. This candy has no sugars that bacteria can feed off to form plaque on your teeth.

Trick-or-treating is an exciting activity that only comes once a year. Halloween as all about candy, dressing up, and having fun. To minimize the harm candy can do your teeth: eat candy in moderation, be picky about the type of candy, and always remember to floss daily and brush at least twice a day.

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