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Halloween Candies That Can Harm Your Teeth

Updated: Apr 3


Halloween carved pumpkins on wooden deck

Halloween Candies That Can Harm Your Teeth

Sour candies are one of the worst candies for your teeth. They contain acid, which can break down enamel. The acid in sour candies also wears down tooth enamel, which can make it easier for cavities to form.


Hard Candies That Can Harm Your Teeth

Hard candies and caramels can stick to your teeth, which could potentially pull out fillings or cause damage to tooth enamel. If you have a filling or crown, avoid hard candies.


Hard candies can also increase your risk for tooth decay because they stick around in your mouth. When sugar mixes with the bacteria in your mouth, it creates an acidic substance that can break down tooth enamel and lead to cavities.


Hard & Sour Candies That Can Harm Your Teeth

Hard candies and sour candies are the worst candies for your teeth. Both candies can crack or chip your teeth, causing painful dental emergencies. The sugar in hard candies feeds dental plaque and can even lead to cavities. Hard candies are also more likely to get stuck in between teeth, which can irritate the gums.


Sour candies are also terrible for teeth. The acid in sour candies can break down tooth enamel, causing painful dental emergencies. Sour candies also coat your teeth in sugar, which can feed dental plaque.

Both candies can also get stuck in between teeth, which can irritate the gums.


Chocolate That Can Harm Your Teeth

The sugar in chocolate can combine with plaque to produce acids that attack your enamel. Sugar-free chocolate and the dark chocolate varieties are less harmful.


Dark chocolate varieties contain less sugar than milk chocolate varieties. The antioxidants in dark chocolate also help protect your teeth.


Sugar-Free Candies That Can Harm Your Teeth

If you’ve recently had a dental procedure, then it’s important to avoid any foods that might increase your risk of complications. While sugarless candies may seem safe, they can still cause tooth decay. This is because sugar doesn’t directly cause tooth decay. Instead, the acidic environment it creates in your mouth lets bacteria thrive. This can cause tooth decay.


Caramels That Can Harm Your Teeth

Caramels are among the most delicious treats to enjoy during the Halloween season. However, caramels are high in sugar, which feeds the bacteria already in your mouth. This bacteria then produces acid. This acid can then eat away at your teeth and cause tooth decay.


Fruit Snacks That Can Harm Your Teeth

Fruit snacks are a popular Halloween candy. However, many fruit snacks contain high levels of citric acid. While citric acid may not sound harmful, it can eat away at the enamel of your teeth and eventually weaken your dental enamel.


Other candies that may contain high levels of citric acid include sour patch candies and sour gummy worms. Sour candies can be especially harmful to your teeth due to their fruit-based ingredients.


Licorice That Can Harm Your Teeth

Licorice, a sugary candy, can stick to your teeth, increasing the risk of cavities. The gum can irritate your gums, leading to swelling, pain, and redness. The acidity can weaken the enamel on your teeth, making your teeth even more prone to cavities.


Jawbreakers That Can Harm Your Teeth

Jawbreakers are a staple of Halloween candy. While they’re typically not the worst candy for your teeth, they can still cause some damage. Jawbreakers have a lot of sugar, which bacteria love to feed on. The bacteria that live on your teeth and gums produce acid that wears away your tooth enamel. Eating sugar results in more acid production, so it’s best to limit your intake of sugar.


Trick Or Treating With Your Favorite Dentist

Even though Halloween candies can harm your teeth, trick or treating with your favorite dentist can be spooky fun. Did you know some dentists give out candy and goodies for Halloween? The American Dental Association surveyed dentists to find out just how many dished up sweet treats, a whopping 76 percent.  Others paired candy with a toothbrush and a reminder card to brush daily.

Then there were dentists who opted to give something other than candy, whether it be for cavity awareness or other health reasons. If you’re looking for sugar-free Halloween ideas, here are some monster big ideas that aren’t nightmares for teeth.

Don’t “glow” bump in the night

What child doesn’t like glow sticks.  They come in all sorts of colors and shapes from straight sticks to bracelets, necklaces and mini light sabers.  They are a great add-on to kid’s costumes and they’ll help parents keep track of their little ghosts and goblins.

Water bottles to wash away the sugar

Charging from house to house as a superhero or evil villain is thirsty work.  Dentist can provide trick-or-treaters small bottles of water to wash away any sugar residue left behind from snacking on sweets between houses.

Sugar-free sweets

Trick or TreatGum can actually be good for your teeth.  Studies have shown that chewing sugar-free gum after meals and sweets can help rinse off and neutralize the acids released by the bacteria in plaque, which are harmful to tooth enamel. Both the act of chewing and the flavor of the artificial sweeteners in the gum stimulate ten times the normal rate of saliva flow.  Just make sure to ask parents before handing it out and always look for brands with the ADA Seal of Acceptance.

Trinkets for treats

Toys like paddle ball, yo-yos, bouncy balls, finger puppets and other fun items come in bulk online or in discount stores and make great little treats.  Help them “spook” up their costumes by handing out plastic spider rings, vampire teeth or pumpkin bags.

Stickers and stamps

Pre-inked spooky stamps and ghoulish stickers let kids leave their mark on just about anything.  Make up cards with a link to a downloadable Brushing Calendar and a reminder that November 1st is National Brush Day

Spooky pencils

Pencils with Fall designs, not those boring yellow ones, and erasers shaped like pumpkins or witches are a fun and useful treats kids can take to school after the Halloween fun is over.


To find out more about the dental services offered by our dentist in Albuquerque NM, Dr. Snyder, call (505)-293-7611, schedule an online consultation or visit us at 4830 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE, Ste. K, Albuquerque, NM, 87111.

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