The Dental Dangers of Candy and Sugar - Halloween 2014

Halloween is almost here! There are plenty of fun times to be had in the future – dressing up, consuming candies and chocolates, laughing with friends, and trick-or-treating. Children love it… and parents do too!

A simple question for you: What do consumers spend the most on during Halloween?

A. Candy

B. Costumes

C. Decorations

Everything in Moderation!

Believe it or not, costumes are what consumers spend the most on during Halloween (and it’s probably because they cost more than candy does). Don’t be mistaken, however, because candy is a close second. Analysts have predicted that $2.8 billion dollars will be spent on costumes this year, and $2.2 billion dollars will be spent on candy.*

I’m not sure what you’re thinking but $2.2 billion dollars worth of candy is A LOT of candy. There’s really only one thing to do with candy and that’s consume it. As a holistic dentist it is my personal duty to remind you of the dental dangers of candy consumption this Halloween.

Sugar is the Scariest Costume

It comes dressed in a shiny, white costume – you can’t miss it. As tempting as candy is, we often fall into the sugar trap during Halloween in which our consumption of sugary foods begins to spike. Can you relate? Sugar can cause damage on our teeth if it's not properly addressed.

When we consume sugar, our body is responsible for breaking it down, which it does at a slow pace, but results in a byproduct that is basically acid. This acid sits in our teeth, slowly damaging our enamel – which is what protects our teeth. It also works with the bacteria in our mouth to slowly rot our teeth, responsible for many cavities and tooth decay.

Addressing the Sticky Situation

Chocolates are better. It’s hard to tell children to put their candy down, especially if they worked hard in earning it walking up and down many streets. If you’re going to allow your child to eat any sweets then we prefer chocolates because they are not as damaging as other candies. Remember: in Moderation!

Giving is better than receiving. Children are too excited about receiving candy and hardly ever want to give it up. However, there are great lessons to be learned here. Use an incentive to have your child give their candy away (to a friend, family member, or through a buy-back program, etc.). It will teach them what it’s all about to give, rather than receive – a feeling they might actually enjoy! We know we do.

Visit your dentist. Sugar is sticky and has a tendency to linger around in your mouth until action is taken – action being daily brushing, daily flossing, and visiting your dentist for a natural dental cleaning. Anything that you miss at home can be taken care of and cleaned up by your dentist for a new, fresh cavity-free mouth.

Be sure to have a great Halloween this year – stay safe, have fun, and try not to overdo it on the candy!  

Happy Halloween from the team at Centers for Healing!

*Source: https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/record-number-of-americans-buy-halloween-costumes