As you know, Halloween candy isn’t just for kids. We “adults” admittedly (and shamelessly) enjoy our fair share of Reese’s, Snickers and candy corn just as much as the next 10 year old. In fact, according to Delta Dental of Massachusetts, “nearly 80 percent of parents admit they eat their children’s Halloween candy.” After all, what better excuse (and better time of the year) is there to stuff your face with these sugary treats. There is, however, one drawback, and that is your dental health. Whomp whomp.
Yes, I’m afraid it’s true, folks. The more candy you eat, the more likely a cavity is to follow (ew). But according to Delta Dental of Massachusetts, choosing the right sweets for your teeth could help ward off harmful consequences. So which candy is actually better for your teeth? Here they are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the least harmful and 5 being the worst candy for your teeth. Some of the results may surprise you.
1. Sugar-free candy and gum with xylitol (well, that’s a mouthful)
The least harmful candy for your teeth is sugar-free candy and gum with xylitol. According to Delta Dental, “Sugar-free foods don’t contain sugar that can feed on bacteria in the mouth and produce decay-causing acids.” Which means that gum and candy containing xylitol protects your teeth by “by reducing the acids produced by bacteria and increasing saliva to rinse away excess sugars and acids.” That’s all well and good, but how many of us really want gum on Halloween?
2. Powdery candy
Coming in as second best candy for your teeth is powdery candy. Since powdery candy (such as sugar straws) dissolve quickly in your mouth, it doesn’t have enough time to stick to your teeth, producing acids and bacteria.
3. Chocolate
Everyone’s favorite Halloween treat, chocolate, falls midway on the scale of bad to worse candy for your teeth. Because chocolate actually dissolves quite quickly in your mouth, the sugar doesn’t stay on your teeth long enough to make a difference. And, “the calcium in chocolate can potentially help protect tooth enamel.” Just don’t eat it filled with nuts or caramel.
4. Hard candy
Lollipops and mints are tough on your teeth because they “tend to be sucked on at a leisurely pace for an extended period of time,” which leads to more sugar on your teeth. Not to mention biting down on any of these hard candies can be detrimental to your teeth.
5. Chewy candy
Who doesn’t love chewy candy? It’s too bad they are absolutely terrible for your teeth, according to Delta Dental. Candies like caramels and gummies are rated the worst candy option for Halloween simplly because these sticky treats “are high in sugar” and generally “spend a prolonged amount of time stuck to your teeth.” Yowza.
So maybe it’s time to rethink our Halloween sweet tooth? I don’t know about you, but I’m afraid dental hygiene won’t keep me away from my love of chocolate. But, it may be time to start brushing a little more and trick-or-treating a little less.
