Halloween is just around the corner, which means that both children and adults will be in possession of plenty of sweets to munch on soon. However, as a dental care provider who is dedicated to helping patients maintain strong, healthy, beautiful teeth, I feel it is important to provide the following tips to help please your sweet tooth, while at the same time, keeping tooth decay at bay.
Good Candy
- Sugar-free hard candies and lollipops – These can be useful in that they stimulate saliva and in turn, prevent a dry mouth. The saliva can prevent plaque from building up as quickly, which typically leads to cavities.
- Sugar-free gum – Also a great way to increase the production of saliva, which neutralize acids and prevent decay, chewing gum can help prevent cavities by helping dislodge food particles from the teeth.
- Dark chocolate – Yes, chocolate contains a lot of sugar; however, it has been proven that the antioxidants in dark chocolate can be good for the heart. It can even help lower blood pressure.
Bad Candy
- Sugary snacks – Those with high amounts of sugar (candy corn, cake, and cookies) can lead to tooth decay.
- Chewy/sticky sweets – These types of treats are a serious cause of tooth decay, commonly getting stuck to the teeth. Gummy candies, taffy, and dried fruit often get stuck between the teeth and make it very difficult for saliva to wash away.
- Sour candies – Tooth enamel can be broken down rather quickly from the high acid levels in these sweets. However, the production of saliva can slowly help restore the balance from the acid.
As a Beverly Hills orthodontics professional, I am sure to always advise patients to eat candy in moderation. No need to deprive yourself all together, just be cautious of what candies you eat and be sure to brush, floss, and rinse!