Sweet Tooth Survival Guide: Watch Out for These Candies This Halloween

Your child may be excited for Halloween, which is quickly coming up. They might be running up to you about the costume they want to wear, while you get flashbacks to your own past nostalgia. It’s exciting to plan a day where you can let your little one have harmless fun, but the candy they get may lead to some trouble. Some might be worse than others, so keep reading to learn how you can protect their growing grin.

What Candy Is Bad for My Child?

The main downside of these tasty sweets is that they are chock-full of sugar. Bacteria in your child’s mouth eat the particles left behind and produce an enamel-dissolving acid. Over time, this creates the decay that isn’t pleasant to deal with. The treats that are worst for your loved one are the ones that linger longer than they should, such as:

• Sticky candy gets trapped in the tiny crevices of your child’s teeth. It can be hard to effectively remove it all.
• Hard candy is meant to be sucked on, but it exposes the mouth to a whole lot of sugar. Not only that, but they might even bite down on them and chip a tooth!
• Sour candy can get funny faces out of you or them, but the reasoning behind why they aren’t the best is similar to the options above. However, they have another aspect to them, which is their acidity. This can erode enamel as well, so it’s double the trouble!

Are There Better Candy Options?

With all that being said, your child might be disappointed if they don’t get a sweet they worked hard to get! Thankfully, there are some better options out there, such as:

• Chocolate isn’t likely to stick in teeth. Better yet, it can melt and easily wash away. Not only that, but it also comes in a dark variant, which has less sugar.
• Sugar-free candy is another option that is great because it limits how much acid the bacteria in the mouth can make. Instead, it can help stimulate saliva production, which washes away harmful plaque.
• Candy with nuts is good because of the crunch. It can help break up any sticky parts. Not only that, but they are just slightly healthier with the added protein and fiber!

In a holiday of scaring and treats, you might have to take wins where you can! While you should limit how much you let your child indulge, maybe try to sneak in some better alternatives, like a fruit or two into the mix. That way, you avoid needing to deal with cavities later on.

About the Practice

At Weldon Dental of Rome, you benefit from a husband-and-wife dentist duo who are here to help anyone in the community. With one of them being a board-certified pediatric dentist, you can trust that your child gets the best care that they deserve. We are dedicated to making their oral healthcare personalized and fun, so that they can get the preventive treatments they need along with any other service.

If you want to gear up your loved one’s teeth for the sweets they’ll get, schedule an appointment or call our office at (706) 232-2082.