Halloween – orange everything, spooky (but mostly fun) decorations, and of course, candies! Americans tend to go all out for this holiday. The National Retail Federation was anticipating $8.4 billion dollars for 2016’s Halloween, translating to an average of $82.93 spend on Halloween festivities. That includes the decorations, the costumes, and the most important part at least according to many kids, the candy. The NRF projected Americans spending $2.5 billion dollars on candy.
Imagine all those kids chowing down on sugary-sweet (or sour) treats. All that sugar isn’t good for their overall health, but it’s especially bad for their smiles! It’s not the sugar alone that makes cavities, but rather the sugar and the conditions in our mouths that create acid that wears away at teeth’s enamel.
Help your kids (and the neighborhood trick-or-treaters!) still enjoy the spirit of the season and keep their teeth strong and healthy by swapping out your traditional offerings of candy with some of these teeth-friendly Halloween treat options!
Teeth-Friendly Halloween Treats:
- 1. All candy isn’t great for teeth, but some a definitely worse than others! Sticky candies, like gummy bears or caramels, are especially bad because they stick to the teeth and prolong teeth exposure to the acids and plague produced by sugar.
Instead, go with chocolate, especially dark chocolate (as it contains less sugar than its milky counterpart). Since chocolate melts quickly, it generally doesn’t stick to the teeth. Watch out for chocolate candies with sticky fillings (like Snickers); they’re not very teeth-friendly! - 2. Sugar-free gum sweetened with Xylitol is another more teeth-friendly option for Halloween treats! The U.S. Department of Health notes that chewing gum sweetened with Xylitol can reduce the progression of cavities.
- 3. Sugar-free lollipops are also a good Halloween treat for the cavity-conscious. Sugar-free lollipops stimulate the production of saliva in the mouth and that saliva helps flush the plague and cavity-forming bacteria away from the teeth.
Even with these more teeth-friendly Halloween treat options, remember to remind your children to brush correctly and regularly, and don’t slack off on regular visits to Dr. Tin at Villa Vista Dental!
Check out The Tooth Fairy’s Halloween website, Tricky Treats, for other teeth-friendly alternatives and tips on how to keep your little ones from wreaking total havoc on their smiles during the Halloween season!
Contact our team for more dental care tips!