When it comes to candy, some deliver more tricks than others. This Halloween, consider giving your teeth a treat by indulging in the candies experts claim are less likely to cause tooth decay.
So which candies are the heavy hitters when it comes to cavities?
Anything that does not dissolve quickly. Hard candy such as lollipops or mints should be avoided. The runners up for worst candy? Sticky sweets like caramels and gummies.
“Choose candy that melts and disappears quickly,” said Dr. Katina Spadoni, dental director for Delta Dental of Illinois. “The longer teeth are exposed to sugar, the longer bacteria can feed on it, which could produce cavity-causing acid.”
And the best confection? (Or maybe better put, the least destructive sweet?)
It turns out chocolate – of all things – is one of the least harmful candies, as it dissolves quickly. Still, ALL candy is bad for teeth. “It’s extremely important kids brush their teeth or at least rinse with water after eating sweets,” cautions Dr. Spadoni.
However, there’s a glimmer of good news: chocolate is both the most benign and most-consumed Halloween candy – with 86 percent of kids gobbling up at least a bar or two. Chewy candy comes in at a distant second – with 57 percent of kids smacking away on taffy and gummies.
Of course, kids always have the option of avoiding candy entirely – many practices offer a “Candy Buyback” for kids. Does yours? Children haul in their loot a day or two after Halloween, and many dentists will pay a buck or so per pound. Not a bad treat.
Happy Halloween!