Trick-or-treating is a time for children to dress up and go door-to-door, eagerly awaiting whatever candy drops into their bucket. By the end of the night, most kids return home with a mountain of sugar just waiting to be devoured. Unfortunately, most of these treats can do serious damage to your child’s teeth. Before letting them dig in, find out which Halloween candies are good and bad for their growing smile.
Halloween Candy: Separating the Good From the Bad
The moment your child dumps out their candy haul onto the kitchen table, they may be eager to grab their favorites and tear them open. Before they do, take some time to separate the good from the bad so that they don’t damage their pearly whites.
Halloween Candies That Are Safe to Eat
- Chocolate because it easily washes off teeth. Also, dark chocolate is a better option because it doesn’t have as much sugar in it as milk chocolate.
- Sugar-free candy, especially the hard variety, can stimulate your child’s saliva production, which can help flush out bad bacteria. However, you need to be careful about these candies because they can contain sugar substitutes that are not the best for overall health.
- Sugar-free chewing gum because it encourages proper saliva flow, effectively washing away anything that might be harmful to tooth enamel. Also, stimulating their saliva glands helps neutralize acids, further reducing the chances of dental decay and cavities.
Halloween Candies to Avoid
- Sticky candy because it can adhere to the chewing surfaces of your teeth and is often hard to remove. If left in place for too long, it can cause cavities to form over time. Many of these candies contain lots of sugar or are highly acidic, which can cause enamel erosion.
- Hard candy because it can cause your child to accidentally damage one or more teeth, leading to a sudden trip to the emergency dentist’s office.
- Sour candy because it’s coated in sugar and acidic, two things that are detrimental to teeth. As it breaks down tooth enamel, the outer layer of their teeth can become brittle and more prone to breakage.
It’s fine to let your child enjoy some Halloween candy this year, but make sure you are helping them avoid those that can do the most damage. Also, don’t let them go to bed without brushing their teeth, as this is the most important way to better protect their developing smile.
About the Author
Dr. Meghan Thorburn is a pediatric dentist who completed dental school at UT Houston. With nearly a decade of experience, she enjoys helping young patients feel good about their smile. Providing preventive services to help protect growing teeth, she also provides helpful oral hygiene habits that can be used at home to minimize the risk of cavities year-round. If your child is gearing up for Halloween festivities this year, visit our website or call (682) 207-6390 to find out which candies are the safest for them to enjoy.