Halloween Candy: Which Are the Best and Worst for Your Child’s Teeth?

Who can resist that delicious chocolate bar or that sweet package of gummy treats? With Halloween just weeks away, your child is most likely creating a map of which houses give out the best candy as well as which ones that don’t. As a parent, you may be happy to see an apple or another healthy food item in your child’s trick-or-treat bucket, but let’s be honest, you want some of their candy, too. Before you let your child or teenager embark on a sugar binge, take the time to learn about the best and worst candy for your teeth and how you can keep their teeth in good shape this holiday season.

Evaluating Your Child’s Sweet Treats

You’re probably all-too-familiar with the sight of a living room floor covered in a treasure trove of pure sugar wrapped in pretty little packages. While some come in wrappers, others are contained in boxes, but no matter what they’re in, it’s what is on the inside that counts.

Since you are the adult, and you just spent the last several hours driving your child around from house to house, it’s understandable to collect your well-earned candy tax by picking out a few of your favorite candies. Once you’re finished, it’s time to evaluate the rest of the bag and determine which treats are best for your child to eat and which ones you might want to quickly hide from sight.

• Chocolate: This is one of the best options you’ll find. Not only is it easily removed from your child’s teeth, but if it’s dark chocolate, that means, there is less sugar in it than milk chocolate.
• Gummy Candies: If it’s sticky, you can bet it’s going to be hard to get off your little one’s teeth. The longer it sits, the greater the chance for bacteria to build and create cavities.
• Hard Candies: Just like the gummy ones, it’s best if you remove these from your child’s Halloween bucket simply because they can cause serious damage. A Jolly Rancher isn’t worth a chipped or cracked tooth.
• Sour Candies: This is a double whammy because not only is it sugary, but it is also acidic, which means it can lead to tooth decay, cavities, and weakening of the tooth enamel.
• Popcorn Balls: Apart from being sticky, hard, and coated in sugar, they’re also an annoyance if you get a kernel stuck between your teeth. Make sure your child flosses well to remove any left behind popcorn remnants before they go to bed.

Preventive Tips

To ensure your child’s oral health remains in tip-top shape, there are a few things you can make sure they do before they call it a night:

• Have them brush their teeth using fluoride toothpaste for a full two minutes
• Make sure they floss between their teeth, gently but thoroughly
• Rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash to flush out any bacteria or food particles left behind from flossing and brushing

Halloween only comes around once a year, and it’s unnecessary to make your children forfeit all of their candy. Let them enjoy a few pieces at a time but be mindful of their consumption and how well they’re keeping up with their oral hygiene routine.

About the Practice
At Wayland Dental, our team of dentists and staff are ready to care for you and your family’s dental needs. Offering kind and compassionate care to patients of all ages, we believe in the importance of preventive care, no matter your stage in life. From children to adults, regular dental checkups and cleanings are a must, as well as continued patient education, and with Halloween right around the corner, we want to help parents better understand how to let their children enjoy their sweets while being mindful of their teeth. If you want our help to find out how you can best safeguard your child’s oral health, contact us at (508) 651-0500.