Halloween Tricks for Eating Treats

Halloween Tricks for Eating Treats

CORNWALL, Ontario – Halloween is a time of costumes, scares and of course, candy. With what could be called an overload of sweets, dentists have a few tips to help keep your teeth and tastebuds happy.

“Children can enjoy the spoils of their trick-or-treating, relatively horror-free, but keep in mind that candy should be a treat, not a part of your regular diet,” said Ontario Dental Association (ODA) President Dr. Jack McLister. “There is sugar in other foods you eat, so for your oral health and overall body health be mindful of how much sugar you consume, especially during Halloween.”

The ODA also suggests incorporating healthy, teeth-cleaning snacks like vegetables, fruit or cheese along with the candy. It’s also a good idea to have a set time for children to raid their stash of sweets instead of disbursing it throughout the day, which would let candy linger on their teeth for hours. The best “candy time” is after a meal because the saliva produced while eating will help protect their teeth.

Here are the good, bad and ugly facts about Halloween candy:

The Good: Chocolates cause the least damage to your teeth because they dissolve quickly in your mouth. Nuts, sunflower seeds and sugarless gum are also great options.

The Bad: Lollipops, jawbreakers and other hard candies take a long time to break down and can damage dental work and chip teeth.

The Ugly: Sticky treats like raisins, toffee, fruit roll-ups and caramels get lodged in the teeth and that can cause decay. Sour candies are chewy and their high acid content can erode tooth enamel. 

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