Trick or Eat: Candy Vs Teeth

As your smile savants, all of us at Pearl Dental Cleaning in Vancouver are excited that candy season is here! We love our sweets just as much as anyone else, and as a team that focuses on helping Vancouverites achieve healthy, white teeth, we’ve got some tips to make sure those treats don’t turn into nasty tricks.

In our last blog, we briefly explained how sugar leads to cavities. Well, have those toothbrushes on standby, because Fortune.com estimates that on Halloween night alone, kids in the US will gobble a mindboggling 7000 calories, about three cups, of sugar. And as kids and adults feast, so will the sugar-loving bacteria that causes cavities.

Does this mean bidding a sweet farewell to Halloween? Not at all. Moderation is key to maintaining healthy teeth. It’s also worth noting some candy is worse than others, so it might be worth choosing how you get your sugar rush.

The Best Candy for Maintaining Healthy Teeth

Unsurprisingly, sugarless candies and gum rank among the best. Chewing sugarless gum not only helps to dislodge bits of food, but also helps generate the saliva that neutralizes the acids leading to tooth decay. Dark chocolates and candies with nuts are also slightly better as dark chocolate contains less sugar, and candies/chocolates with nuts break up the stickiness that allows sugar to adhere to the teeth.

As society becomes more aware of the impact of refined foods and sugars on the body (and teeth), healthier alternatives for sweets are popping up. One we love is Zolli Candy. Founded by kidtrepreneur Alina Morse, this candy company uses smile-friendly alternatives like Stevia and xylitol for sweetness and generated almost $6 million in revenue last year.

The Biggest Culprits

What are the baddies to avoid? Here’s a tip—the worst candy is the sticky stuff. This means:

• lollipops
• taffy
• caramels
• candy corn
• gummies

Anything sugary increases acidity, which is bad for enamel. Add in the stickiness, and sugar-loving bacteria have more time to eat away at your enamel. Remember, sucking candy is no better than biting, and may even be worse due to prolonged sugar exposure.

Keeping Teeth Healthy After Halloween

The best way to keep your teeth healthy during Halloween (and after) is good dental hygiene. Brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste after indulging in sweet treats. This will remove the sugar and strengthen the enamel, preventing cavities. At the very least, swish with a mouthwash—or even water if you’re not at home.

If you’re overdue for a check-up after Halloween is a great time to schedule a visit. As a boutique for teeth whitening and dental cleaning in Vancouver, our dental hygienists work to scale away the bad stuff, polish up your smile, and provide an enamel-strengthening fluoride application.

The big takeaway here is by snacking selectively and maintaining good oral hygiene—you CAN have your candy and eat it, too.