Halloween Candy: Advice from Your Dentist

What comes to mind when you think of Halloween? Costumes and candy! While your teeth are generally safe from spooky attire, the mountains of candy you may accumulate on this night is a different story. As your dentist, we want patients to enjoy trick-or-treating. We even give permission for you to indulge in some of that free candy. However, there are some important things you should know if you want to protect your smile health.

Whether it’s a child going door to door for candy, or the parents sneaking treats from their bag, here are some helpful tips to follow this Halloween when it comes to dental care on Halloween:

#1 Limit the Amount of Candy You Consume
This is not only to prevent a stomach ache for kids or a growing waistline for adults. That bucket of candy after trick-or-treating can tempt you to indulge on several pieces in one sitting. We recommend small portions of candy and saving your Halloween loot in a storage container to save for later. The more sugar that bathes your teeth, the more difficult it is to clean and the more likely it is to cause damage to your pearly whites.

#2 Be Selective with Your Choice of Candy
One of the best parts of Halloween is evaluating and sorting your candy at the end of the night. However, as you rate your candy in terms of size and taste, consider the impact each treat could have on your teeth. While you may not be able to avoid the sugar content, you can be picky on the way it is introduced to your teeth. For example, dentists will always recommend choosing chocolate over hard sticky candy (such as lollipops or Jolly Ranchers). Chocolate does a much better job of melting away from your teeth instead of sticking into the grooves like hard candy or risking tooth damage when you crunch.

#3 Brush Your Teeth or Drink Water After You Indulge
Once you’ve sat down and finished enjoying your Halloween treats, do yourself a favor—brush your teeth! If you don’t have a toothbrush handy, drink some water at the very least. It is important to rinse away sugars and acids from your teeth as quickly as possible before they give bacteria and plaque a chance to feed and breed. One of the easiest and most beneficial dental tips on Halloween night is to carry a bottle of water around for frequent sips between candy nibbles.

Let Your Dentist do the Clean Up

If you are concerned about the impact that candy is having on your child’s smile, contact Dr. Mitzi Morris. We can offer a professional dental cleaning to protect your family’s teeth and gums after this candy-binge holiday.