Halloween is right around the corner! While the spooky holiday is fun for children of all ages, there are some treats that may do serious damage to teeth. Avoid the side effects that Halloween candy may have on your children’s oral health by remembering these quick tips:
Limit the amount of candy you keep
Although some kids manage to collect hundreds of pieces of candy, you can monitor the number of treats your child keeps. It’s tempting to keep all the Halloween candy for the kids (and yourself), but your teeth will thank you if you limit the stash.
Here are three ways to keep your teeth healthy during Halloween:
- Avoid certain kinds of candy
- Maintain your oral health routine
- Utilize a local Halloween candy buyback program
Avoid certain candies during Halloween
The worst candy for your teeth:
- Sticky and gummy candies: Sticky candies are hard to remove from teeth which make it easier for cavity-causing bacteria to grow. Prevent your child from consuming sticky and gummy candies by removing them from your kids’ candy bucket.
- Hard candy: Hard candies affect your teeth in two ways. First, hard candies can break your teeth when you bite down on them. Second, hard candy often sticks in the mouth for long periods of time which gives the sugar more time to sit on our teeth.
The best candy for your teeth:
- Chocolate: When compared to hard candy or gummies, chocolate is best for teeth. We’re not saying chocolate is good for your oral health, but it’s better than the alternatives. Chocolate is one of the most popular candies handed out on Halloween. And it’s easier to clean off your teeth because it melts away instead of sticking around.
Maintain your oral health routine during Halloween
Halloween may create behaviors that disrupt our oral health routine. From staying out late to having candy available 24/7, Halloween can be a cavity-causing holiday. But if you keep your oral health in check, you can keep cavities away.Limit the number of treats per day and reinforce the need for good oral hygiene.
Check out these tips to maintain your oral health routine:
- Brush your teeth twice a day
- Clean between your teeth with floss
- Stay away from sugary beverages
- Drink more water
- Maintain a healthy diet
Halloween Candy Buyback
Halloween Candy Buyback is a nonprofit organization with the goal of removing excess Halloween candy from kids while supporting the troops. Get rid of all that candy and make a difference while you’re doing it.
Looking for Halloween treats that are healthy for your teeth? Click here!
*Updated October 2022
