Halloween is a holiday full of tradition, cute costumes, pumpkin everything and candy galore. For those of us at Treasure Dental Lab, Halloween brings with it an extra fright when we consider the enormous amounts of candy consumed at this time of year. Like anyone else, we love seeing the creative costumes and the excitement that exudes from the children as they run from house to house collecting sweets and treats, or as we like to call it… job security. As much as we love the idea of a stable future, we’d much rather help others understand the risks associated with this type of candy consumption. To that end, we offer this list of seven spooky candies the terrify your teeth.
1.) Caramels
Caramels and/or caramel-filled candy are at the top of the bad list. They stick to everything and thus allow the sugars to reside on tooth enamel for long periods of time. They longer they are there the more bacteria can feed on it.
2.) Taffy
Akin to the caramel candies is the taffy family. You really could call it a tie between the two because they act very much the same way.
3.) Sour Candies
Sour candies a slightly less sticky than the taffy and caramel, but they also carry with them acidic content, which can break down tooth enamel.
4.) Gummy Bears
Next on the list are the gummy candies like gummy bears. This one has been one of my personal favorites for quite some time now, but it looks like I might have to be more aware of how many I consume as they are a major cause of tooth decay.
5.) Powdered Candy
Powder candy like Pixie Sticks certainly don’t stick to the teeth, but due to the high amounts of sugar they can change the PH in your mouth and lead to cavities.
6.) Lollipop
Hard suckers and lollipops can cause your tooth enamel to break off, especially if your enamel is softer than average.
7.) Jawbreakers
Jawbreakers are some of the hardest candies on the market and as the name suggests they can indeed break break teeth. Additionally, they take so long to dissolve that it means the sugars last in your mouth even longer than usual.
Whatever you may have remaining from the recent Halloween loot, have fun and enjoy the memories. However, please also be mindful of the risks you run when consuming candies.
