No doubt your kids’ trick-or-treating adventures this Halloween were a smashing success. They have come home with giant sacks just brimming with candy, and if you’re like most parents, you don’t want them eating half of that candy in one night or over time. Many parents have different methods of how they weed out their children’s candy, such as asking them to pick their 10 favorites and then discarding the rest or tossing out half of it when the kids go to bed. Some parents may even be guilty of pilfering some of that candy for their own.
Whatever your methods are, here are some candies that you should try to get your child to avoid entirely, whether it’s asking them to remove them from their top 10 picks or discarding it yourself after they have made their picks.
Sour Candies
Sour candies have a much lower pH than other candies, which means they are far more acidic than other candies. While sugar is a “bad” component to candy or really any consumable item, high acidity levels do far more damage. For instance, it’s the carbonic acid found in soft drinks that makes them so damaging to your teeth and not as much the sugar. This is why even switching to diet soft drinks is still harmful for your teeth.
With sour candies, it’s almost as bad as drinking one soda. The high acidity coupled with the sugar makes them one of the unhealthiest candies for your teeth. Be sure to fish these out of your kids’ sacks.
Chewy Candies
Anything that is sticky or chewy should be avoided, including taffy (soft and hard taffy), licorice, gummy candies, and anything with caramel. Chewy candies like these can get stuck in grooves in between teeth. While they will be washed out with saliva and brushing, it takes a long time for saliva to wash out sticky foods, and unless it’s a thorough brushing accompanied by flossing, cleaning your teeth won’t remove all of the sticky sugar either.
With the sugar constantly pressed against your teeth, it’s a viable and inviting buffet for decay-causing bacteria.
For hard, bite-sized taffies like Now and Laters, there is the risk of popping a filling if it gets stuck over a molar.
Super-Hard Candies
This class includes many classics, including Jawbreakers, Gobstoppers, and butter candies. With super-hard candies, there’s always the potential for cracking or chipping a tooth if the child bites down on it.
Gorging on candy is never wise to begin with, whether it’s for general health or dental health, but Halloween is a special occasion so this is one time it’s okay to let your kids indulge a little. However, be sure to remove these types of candies from your kids’ options and get them to brush their teeth immediately after they are done ransacking their bags of treats.
We hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!