The last thing on most people’s minds during this time of year is keeping their teeth safe. After all, with so many delicious Halloween treats to eat, how could anyone think of anything else? Unfortunately, this isn’t always the right approach to take. As your providers of dentistry and orthodontics in the Palatine and Rolling Meadows, IL area, we at Meadows Dental Care recommend expressing a bit of discretion – even if it pains you to do so. This doesn’t mean that you have to forego eating any candy this Halloween – just watch out for the ones that can do the most damage.
The Worst Candies for Your Teeth
While sugar is never a great thing for your teeth, it can be consumed in moderation. However, there are certain types of candies that are worse for your teeth than others. These candies are:- Hard Candy – Because these candies aren’t easily chewed and bitten into, they’ll stay in your mouth for a longer amount of time, giving the sugar in them more time to attack your teeth.
- Sticky Candy – The problem with sticky candy is that it can sometimes get stuck between your teeth, allowing the sugary candy the opportunity to continue eating away at your tooth enamel long after you’ve finished eating.
- Sour Candy – Perhaps the most damaging candy of all is sour candy. The reason for this is because sour candy is full of acid, which is a strong contributor toward tooth decay.
If You’re Wearing Braces
If you’re wearing braces, there are two types of foods that can cause damage to them: hard foods and sticky foods. Hard foods can potentially damage the wires and brackets of your braces. Sticky foods can sometimes get stuck in your braces and tug on the wires and brackets, loosening them or even pulling them off completely. Some candies that may cause the same problems include the following:- Snickers
- Baby Ruth
- Payday
- Milky Way
- Peanut M&M’s
- Taffy
- Anything with caramel
- Anything with nuts
Braces-Friendly Candy
Thankfully, there are still some safe candies for you to eat if you’re wearing braces. The candy that we recommend includes:- Reese’s Cups
- Kit Kat Bars
- Hershey’s Bars
- Hershey’s Kisses
- Plain M&M’s
- Three Musketeers