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Candy and Your Children’s Teeth This Halloween

October 17, 2019

When you have young children, tooth health is always something you’re worried about — especially when Halloween rolls around. But that also doesn’t mean your children shouldn’t enjoy some of their candy this Halloween.

At First Hill Dental Center, we are here with everything you want to know about your children’s teeth and candy. From the best and worst candy to how to balance teeth-friendly candy with other sweets. Schedule your family dental care with First Hill Dental Center today.

The Best and Worst Candy for Your Teeth

When it comes to candy, there are some that are better for your teeth. See what candies your children should try to avoid and why certain candies are better or worse.

Chocolate

This might sound surprising, but chocolate is a much better option than hard or sugary candies. 

When your children drink water or brush their teeth, chocolate is something that is easier to wash off. Also, dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate, making that an even better option for your children and their teeth!

Sticky and Gummy Candy

Sticky and gummy candies can be very bad for your children’s teeth. As they chew these candies, the sugar sticks to their teeth. If your child doesn’t drink water or brush and floss when they’re done, that stickiness can stay on their teeth longer, making them more prone to cavities and other teeth problems. 

Hard Candy

Hard candy, like mints or caramels, have the potential to break your children’s teeth. These sugary candles also sit in their mouth, giving their teeth long-term exposure to that sugar. If you find your child eating hard candy this Halloween, have them drink some water or brush and floss when they’re done.

Sour Candy

Sour candy combines both sticky candy with pure sugar, making them very acidic. This can cause their teeth to weaken and damage the outer shell and make their teeth more vulnerable to cavities. 

Popcorn Balls

While these are less common, your children might bring one or two popcorn balls home. These can be dangerous for their teeth because they’re sticky, sugary, and hard. Watch your children while they eat them to make sure they’re being careful with their teeth. When they’re done eating, have them floss to get any kernels out from between their teeth. 

Teeth-Health Tips for Halloween

Whether you decide to limit what type of candy your child has or let them indulge for the night, there are some other things you can do to keep their teeth healthy on Halloween. 

Don’t Forget the Water!

Have your children bring a bottle of water. This will help wash away any sugar that has built up. Encourage them to take a drink between bites of candy. On top of that, having water on hand will also keep your child hydrated throughout the night! 

Set Time Limits on Their Candy

Halloween can feel like a magical night to children, especially when they come home with a bag — or pillowcase — filled with candy. But it can be hard for your child to know when they’ve had enough candy. That’s where the time limit comes in. Limit the amount of time your children can eat candy. This is both a healthy practice for eating in moderation but will also keep them from eating too many sugary snacks. 

What about their leftovers? Continue with this time limit trend and set a certain “treat time” where you kids can eat some of their leftover Halloween candy.  

Feed Your Children

This might sound simple, but make sure your children eat a well-rounded meal before they leave for trick-or-treating. This sends them off with a healthy meal in their system and keeps them from filling up on candy alone. 

Brush and Floss! 

Hopefully your children have been drinking water throughout the night. But when they get home, make sure they thoroughly brush and floss their teeth! 

Get Family Dental Care from Us

Halloween is a magical night that will leave your children with bags of unhealthy, sugary candy. While allowing them to indulge a little will not ruin their teeth, it’s important to balance those sugary foods with water and other healthy teeth practices. 

We hope that our blog post is able to help you keep your children’s (and your own) teeth healthy this Halloween. Don’t forget to schedule your routine family dental care cleaning at First Hill Dental Center in Seattle! 

Happy Trick-or-Treating!