Halloween is here! Our kids are gearing up for McMinnville’s Safe and Sane Halloween Trick-or-Treat event downtown and putting the final touches on their costumes. This is a great time for everybody in your household to review the good practices of a healthy Halloween. Candy is notoriously bad for your teeth. However, as with any consumable food, if you eat it, it’s important to make good choices. So we’ve put together this helpful information to help you guide your children to healthy choices.
Worst candy for the health of your teeth
The worst candy for your teeth are: hard candy, caramel, sour-tasting candy (which has acids that can break down your enamel), jawbreakers and gobstoppers (long-lasting candy) and any other super-sticky candy. A good rule of thumb is to avoid candy that is in long contact with your teeth.
Here are some examples: Tootsie rolls Dots Lollipops Werther’s OriginalEverlasting Gobstoppers Jawbreakers Caramels
Okay candy for your teeth
If you must eat candy at Halloween, chocolate candy can actually be better for your teeth since it melts quickly and has less contact minutes with your teeth. Peanut butter cups Kit Cats M & Ms (if they are chewed, not sucked on) Almond Joy Snickers Milky way
Tips for a Healthy Halloween Y
ou can help your kids by explaining what is better for them when they pick from a neighbor’s candy bucket and you can help others by not handing out hard or sticky candy. The less time candy stays in contact with your teeth, the better for your whole mouth. Also, if your kids are eating candy, try to make it a once-a-day activity. Don’t let your kids graze on candy (or any other sugary foods) throughout the day.
Doing these things will ensure that Halloween is a special time of year that won’t cause anybody in your family to backslide in the oral health department.
Happy Halloween!
