Aaaahhhh, can you smell it?! Pumpkin spice, crisp morning air, cinnamon sticks… it's FALL. And with fall comes candy season. First up: Halloween. I hope you're all busy planning (and probably re-planning, if your kiddos are anything like mine) costumes! Such a fun time. BUT... all. the. candy. How are those little teeth supposed to survive?
First things first — don't panic! I'm not here to tell you to toss it all or ban candy altogether. What kind of monster do you think I am? Honestly, my youngest has the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I've ever met, and yes, cavities have absolutely happened in my house too (check out my blog "Even Dentists' Kids Get Cavities" for that story).
So here's how our family — and plenty of my patients — make it through candy season without too much damage.
1. Limit the amount
Try allowing just one piece after dinner, or as a treat after school. Let your kiddo pick out their favorites and donate or toss the rest — a great way to slowly make the candy pile disappear. (I've done this many times myself!) And if you're interested in a candy buy-back program, give us a call.
2. Choose wisely
Not all candy is created equal when it comes to your teeth. Here's the rundown:
The worst offenders (candy to eat less of):
- Sticky and chewy candy (taffy, gummies, caramel) — these cling to teeth for hours and are hard to rinse away. They're the dentist's nemesis.
- Hard candy and lollipops — the longer sugar sits in your mouth, the longer bacteria have to feast on it. Sucking on candy for 20 minutes means 20 minutes of acid attack.
- Sour candy — highly acidic and especially rough on enamel in large amounts.
Better choices (relatively speaking):
- Chocolate is actually one of the better Halloween treats from a dental standpoint — it melts and rinses away quickly instead of clinging to teeth. Dark chocolate has less sugar too. Not exactly a health food, but as far as Halloween candy goes, it could be worse!
3. Think about timing, not just type
Here's the real trick (no pun intended): it's not just which candy, but when you eat it. Eating candy with a meal is far less damaging than snacking on it all day long, since your mouth gets a break between exposures instead of a steady drip of sugar.
The quick recap
- Eat candy after meals, not spread throughout the day
- Drink water afterward — it helps rinse away sugar
- Wait 30 minutes after eating candy before brushing (acid softens enamel temporarily)
- Keep up the twice-daily brushing and nightly flossing — especially this month!
Due for a post-Halloween cleanup? Schedule a cleaning for November and start the holiday season with a fresh, clean slate. We won't judge the candy haul — much.