Happy Halloween from the Brighton Family Dental team!
We hope that you and your family have big trick-or-treating plans for tonight, but, as your dental caregiver, we have to warn you against the dangers of Halloween candy. There is a reason, of course, why Halloween has earned a spot on dentists’ list of least favorite holidays!
A Few Tips to Help You Indulge in a Treat Without Any Tricks on Your Teeth
Candy corn is the oldest popular Halloween candy. People have been enjoying it for over 100 years! Unfortunately, candy corn isn’t one of the better Halloween treats for you. 5 of the 14 ingredients found in candy corn are some type of sugar, and most of the rest are artificial coloring and flavoring. If you choose to indulge in candy corn, keep the portion size to a handful and remember to brush to remove the sugar from your teeth.
3 Musketeers are better for your diet and your smile compared to other popular kinds of candy. This is because a fun-sized bar contains less fat, sugar, and calories than many other candy bars of the same size. 3 Musketeers, on the other hand, do contain trans fat hydrogenated palm kernel oil, which isn’t good for your teeth or body, so keep portion size in mind.
Dots, Laffy Taffy, and other sticky and gummy candies are a dentist’s worst nightmare. Not only are they sugar-loaded (which means they contribute to plaque build-up and tooth decay), they’re extremely sticky so you risk damaging your teeth, braces, and dental work, such as fillings and crowns. To steer clear of a dental disaster, avoid these candies (plus others, like caramels, salt water taffy, etc.) at all costs.
The smartest candy you can eat is- you guessed it- Smarties! Compared to other candies, Smarties are much lower in calories and sugar. Also, they’re a good choice for children with allergies because they’re free of common allergens, like nuts and gluten.
If you want to schedule post-candy craze dental appointments for you and your family, call our Brighton, MA dental office at (617) 562-5210 to reserve an appointment with Dr. Villani or Dr. Kondrat.
