The Best and Worst Halloween Treats for Your Smile

As you may already know, Halloween can be a scary time for your smile. However, there are things you can do to take good care of your teeth and gums all while enjoying this fun holiday.

In addition to brushing and flossing your teeth, our Gilbert Fernandez, DDS, Inc. team encourages you to only eat the treats that are less harmful to your smile. To help you know the best and worst treats for your teeth and gums, your dentist, Dr. Gilbert Fernandez, and our dental team are happy to give you these lists:

Best Candies

-Sugar-free candy and gum: Sugar-free treats are the best Halloween treats available because they don’t contain sugar. Sugar is a harmful substance that feeds on the bacteria in the mouth and promotes tooth decay. Sugar-free treats also usually contain xylitol, which is a substance that can protect the teeth and reduce the acids in the mouth.

-Powdery candy: It might be surprising, but powdery candy is one of the better treats available. This is because the candy dissolves quickly and it doesn’t stick to the teeth.

-Chocolate: Chocolate doesn’t usually stay in the mouth for a long period of time, which is why it’s one of the better treats to eat. It dissolves quickly and it can be eaten easily, which decreases the amount of time the sugar stays in contact with the teeth. However, chocolate with fillings, like caramel and nuts, is more dangerous for the smile.

Worst Candies

-Hard candy: Hard candy is dangerous for the teeth because it tends to be in the mouth for a long period of time. It’s in the mouth for a long time because you usually need to suck on it to break it down. Another reason why it’s harmful is because when you chomp down on the treat, it could chip or break a tooth.

-Chewy or sticky candy: Chewy and sticky candy can be damaging to the smile because they are high in sugar and they tend to spend a lot of time being stuck to the teeth. This quickly promotes tooth decay. Chewy and sticky treats are also more difficult to break down with saliva.

For more information and details about the best tooth-healthy Halloween treats in Albuquerque, New Mexico, please feel free to call our office today at 505-898-8063 and talk to a member of our dental team. We look forward to hearing from you!