The excitement of donning costumes and trick-or-treating is over. However, kids are overjoyed digging through their bags, buckets and bowls of candy and choosing what to eat next. Just like we did, kids will weed through and avoid the gross and undesirable candies.
Once you become a parent, you focus in on decayed teeth and dollar signs at the dentist. The motto “everything in moderation” aptly applies to much in life, including Halloween candy.
Based on a recent report, here are the candies that are the most damaging to teeth: jawbreakers, Jolly Ranchers, Bit-O-Honey, Starburst, Tootsie Roll, Laffy Taffy, Snickers, fireballs, Butterfingers, Blow Pops and Milk Duds. Others that get stuck in the teeth include saltwater taffy, jelly beans, gummy bears and Airheads.
It is OK to eat candy occasionally, but too much is going to destroy teeth. Biting into hard or sticky candies can break a tooth or pull out a filling or crown. Sucking on hard candies and mints lowers the pH balance in the mouth and puts one at a greater risk for decay by eroding enamel. If one consumes too much candy on a regular basis, as the enamel erodes, tooth decay forms. Candy can get stuck in the gums and cause abscesses.
It is recommended to consume candy after a meal, because one produces extra saliva to naturally clean the mouth. Also, the longer period of time the candy is eaten, the higher the risk of cavities. Experts recommend consuming it in a 30-minute time period. For all you chocolate lovers, the report notes that chocolate dissolves quickly, you swallow it, and then your saliva returns to a normal pH. One more wonderful thing about chocolate!
Of course, brushing and flossing is vital. Seems like you should do that directly following eating candy. But dentists recommend waiting 30 minutes after eating to clean your teeth. Because the acid produced temporarily weakens the enamel, brushing too soon can damage the enamel when it is more susceptible. A half hour allows your saliva time to naturally neutralize the acid and the enamel to remineralize. Brushing immediately after can scrub the acid into your teeth, causing more damage than help. Also some of the sugar particles may not have landed on your teeth yet. Then, wait at least 30 minutes before eating again to let the normal flora in your mouth protect your teeth and gums.
It just wouldn’t be fair to take away all the candy from children. Limit their access and allow them to eat it in moderation. What can you do with all that leftover candy to protect your family’s dental health? Most candy is actually good for a year. Donate it to the local senior center, food pantry, the Salvation Army and other organizations, church, or freeze it. Use it as ice cream toppings, ingredients in baked goods or a trail mix. You can also donate candy to U.S. soldiers or bring it to your workplace. Some dentists have an exchange program of cash for candy.
I have a friend whose frugal New England parents, way back when, would freeze some of their Halloween candy and dole it out throughout the year for treats and holidays.
You only get one set of adult teeth. Dental health is vital for your basic health. Children need to learn when they are children the importance of caring for their teeth. Damage starts early and can’t be reversed.
All Hallow’s Eve is about carving pumpkins, not looking like a jack-o’-lantern with missing teeth. Halloween fun and candy does not have to be eliminated to teach this lesson. And that is not just a bunch of hocus-pocus!
Take care of yourself and someone else.
Juanita Carnes is a Westfield resident and a nurse practitioner with 38 years of experience in a hospital emergency department and urgent care facilities. She served 30 years on the Westfield Board of Health.
