All Smiles Dentistry Blog

…plus which candies are best and worst when it comes to tooth decay

Planning in Advance what Approach You Will Take With Your Child

Halloween is just around the corner and along with planning costumes and related activities, you need to start planning what you are going to do with all of that candy. One idea is to make sure that your child eats a good dinner before going our to ensure that he does not overdo it on Halloween night. Also, it may be a good idea to have a discussion with your child before trick-or-treating begins letting them know what candy they may have that night, and then putting the rest away and rationing it over the coming weeks.

Take the Time to Check Your Childs Candy

When your child gets home, you should take the time to go through the candy, make sure it hasn’t been tampered with. Packaged candy is the best. You may want to discard any candy that is loose or looks like it has been opened.  Baked goods should only be accepted from a trusted source.  Caution should always be used when consuming goods from strangers.

 Look at What Kinds of Candy You Allow Your Child to Consume with the Following in Mind

Sticky candies such as taffy-like candy or caramel get stuck in the grooves of the teeth and can stay the longest contributing to tooth decay far beyond the time the candy is consumed. They are the toughest for the child to remove when brushing their teeth.

Sour candies can contribute to mouth ulcers.

Lollipops take so long to eat that you have bathed the teeth in sugar for so long that it does much more harm than other candies just because of the length of time the teeth are exposed to the sugar.

My personal favorite is chocolate – it melts away better than most and doesn’t get stuck in the teeth.

Each time you child eats the candy the Ph in their mouth will be lowered allowing the right environment for tooth decay for several hours. So, if your child sits down and eats the candy you have portioned for the day then brushes their teeth thoroughly, they will have less damage done to their teeth than if the child is allowed to snack on the candy throughout the day even if the amount is less.