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Halloween is right around the corner, which means ghouls and goblins, not to mention princesses and superheroes, soon will be on the hunt to satisfy their sweet tooth.
Surely, there will be plenty of treats to go around: The National Retail Federation estimates that 95 percent of Americans will purchase Halloween candy this year to the tune of $2.6 billion on gummies, chocolates, hard candies and everything in between.
While that’s good news to millions of kids – and parents who sneak a few pieces of candy here and there – it’s not necessarily good news for their teeth.
“While we know that sugar is not good for our teeth or overall health, we also know that Halloween is synonymous with candy, and kids and adults alike are going to enjoy plenty of it,” said Dr. Samuel Galstan, president of the Virginia Dental Association and partner with Galstan & Ward Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Chester. “But there are some simple things people can do to minimize the damage of eating Halloween candy.”
Here are a few tips for parents to consider when giving out candy or determining the potential sugar damage to their children’s teeth this year.
Watch out for the hard, sticky candies – Research shows that hard candies (including lollipops) and sticky/sour candies put kids’ teeth at the most risk. Because they don’t dissolve quickly and typically are high in sugar, they produce lots of acid that coats your teeth. Sugary and sour candies are a double threat.
Chocolates are a better alternative – Chocolates, especially dark chocolate because of its lower sugar count, are a better option to those sticky and sour candies. Chocolate with nuts also is better as the nuts tend to break up the stickiness and sugar in a candy bar.
Eat candy in one sitting rather than all day – As far as teeth are concerned, it’s the frequency of the sugar and not the volume of sugar, meaning it’s better to enjoy a few treats in one sitting – and brushing your teeth or swishing your teeth with water after – than munching on candy all day long.
