It’s that time of year again! When the ghouls and goblins roam freely, there’s a costume store on every corner, and the sweet smell of candy is in the air. No matter where you look, there are decadently wrapped morsels of devilishly tempting candy. Oh boy, you guessed it—t’s time for Halloween! From Exceptional Dental, our dentists in Marrero have come up with a sure-fire guide to help keep your teeth safe from the haunted horrors of some Halloween candy.
Sort Your Candy
Whether you’re raiding your child’s candy basket—or maybe you’re happy with your own Halloween haul—our first step is to sort all the pieces of candy you’ve made away with. Sort it into two piles, the first is going to include all your sweet and gooey goods. Keep an eye out for candies such as taffy, caramels, gummy worms, and other sweets of that sort. Stack up all your sours and gummies in one pile and move the rest of your candy to the other pile.
Stay Away From The Three S’s
You heard that right, stay away from pile number one. One of the major causes of cavities and tooth decay is our relationship to sticky, sugary, and sour foods and beverages.
- There is a proven cause-and-effect relationship with sticky substances and poor dental health. Studies show that bacteria can still grow in your mouth if you think you brushed and flossed well. Tiny bits of food can get stuck in hard-to-reach areas and cause a build-up of bacteria.
- Oral bacteria thrive in sugar-rich environments—even if it’s just a little bit of candy you forgot didn’t manage to brush out. The by-product of the interaction of sugar and bacteria causes a buildup of acid, which can lead to cavities and tooth decay.
- Sour candies have a large amount of both acid and sugar which is a double whammy when it comes to dental health. These candies typically get caught in between your teeth and gums and cause accelerated tooth decay due to their acidic properties.
More Tooth-Healthy Strategies
While being picky about what kind of candy we eat is a good way to reduce the risk of tooth decay, an even better approach is to simply limit how much candy you consume. This means staying away from poor habits like grazing or over-indulging. Drinking more water also helps to rinse out excess sugar from your between your teeth and from your mouth.
It’s important to wait at least 30 minutes to brush your teeth after you eat candy due to the varying acidity levels in candy. That’s because it takes your saliva about 30 minutes to restore your natural oral pH levels. Therefore, brushing your teeth right away can actually hurt your teeth more than helping! Combining all these strategies can make for a Halloween that’ll keep your dentist smiling.
Keep Your Dentist in Marrero Smiling
Exceptional Dental has seven locations throughout New Orleans and the surrounding areas. If you’re nearby, we have a dentist in Marrero ready to help keep your teeth in tip-top shape. The Halloween season will come to an end, but the job of keeping our teeth healthy is never done! Don’t let the horrors of Halloween candy haunt your teeth. Contact us at (504) 340-9696 or visit us on our website to schedule an appointment today.
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