Once trick-or-treating is over and the candy bowl is filled to the brim, you might be tempted. It’s OK to enjoy some sweets, but it’s important to be vigilant about how much and how often you’re eating them. Satisfying your sweet tooth with healthier treats can help reduce exposure to the main cavity-causing culprit: sugar.
Lifestyle
Beat sweet temptations this season
Gummies
It’s easy to leave a dish of gummies out on the counter to enjoy throughout the day, but that’s bad news for your teeth. Not only are gummies high in sugar, but they also stick to teeth long after you’re done chewing.
Fresh fruits
Fresh fruits still offer a rainbow of delicious fruity flavors, but they won’t wreak havoc on your oral health. Plus, the texture of crunchy fruits such as apples can help wash away leftover food particles.
Hard candy
Sucking on hard candies increases the time your teeth are in direct contact with sugar. Hard candies also put your mouth at risk for tooth emergencies. If you bite down, a hard candy can chip or crack your teeth.
Sugar-free gum
Chewing sugar-free gum helps you avoid the dangers of hard candy, and it can help your oral health. Sugar-free gum has been shown to reduce acids in the mouth while stimulating saliva flow to wash away sugar and food residue left on teeth.
Caramel
Whether it’s covering a candied apple or inside a candy bar, caramel is especially bad for oral health. Its sticky texture can keep it on tooth surfaces for longer periods.
Plain chocolate
Chocolate is less sticky than many other candies, so it washes off teeth more easily, and dark chocolate typically has less sugar than milk chocolate. Nuts can be a good choice for chocolate bars, but avoid those with caramel or nougat fillings.
Indulge in candy sparingly this season, but always brush and floss afterward. You can also minimize the effects of candy with a couple easy steps like enjoying it in a single sitting as opposed to snacking throughout the day, eating it with a meal instead of as a stand-alone snack and drinking water to wash away the sugar. If you have too much Halloween candy left in the house and don’t want the temptation, look for a dentist with a candy buy-back program.
