How to Eat Your Halloween Candy and Avoid New Cavities

It’s that time of year when Americans get a free sugar overload! Although Halloween is a fun time for trick-or-treating, all the sweets and candy can wreak havoc on your teeth. “Sugar on the teeth over time causes the cavities,” said Dr. Jason Kboudi who heads up the team at Advanced Smile Care. “And so we need to make sure that if we’re going to eat the sugar and eat the candies that we do some things to make sure that the cavities don’t come.”

Tip #1: Moderation is key!  

Recommendation number one: only eat your candy after dinner. Keep in mind, you are supposed to be brushing your teeth soon after your evening meal. The timing of this activity reduces the chance of plaque build up and minimizes the potential for bacteria to fester on your teeth.

“There are some things you can do to sort of offset the effect of the sugar, one is eat it in sort of a smaller quantities and all at one time. Drink water afterwards. It will help get the sugar off of your teeth,” said Dr. Kboudi

If you leave a bag of candy or bowls of candy around the home, the chance of eating candy at all times of the day is high. You can put away the candy in drawer to keep it out of sight.

Tip #2: Toss hard and sticky candies

Hard and sticky candies are among the worst sweets for your mouth. When you eat a piece of hard candy, you either suck on the candy and keep it in your mouth for a long period of time, or you bite on the candy which may end up chipping or breaking a tooth. With sticky candies, the sugar tends to stick in the contours and grooves of your teeth. And unless you brush your teeth right after eating the candy, the sugar will sit on your teeth for a long stretch of time.

“Eating a lot of candy over a longer period of time and even sucking on lollipops  is going to be detrimental and more likely to cause cavities,” stressed Dr. Kboudi.

Tip #3: Brush and floss

This should be a no-brainer, especially if your kiddos are going to be eating candy. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends placing your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums. You need to make sure you gently brush the teeth for 2 minutes, twice a day. With flossing,  it is recommended that you use about 18 inches of floss. The ADA has a helpful step-by-step guide.

Tip #4: Drink water

The cavity-creating bacteria living in our mouths, feed off the residue of candy. If you drink plenty of water, the particles stand a better chance of getting washed away. The fluoride in our water also helps to protect our teeth, and is considered one of the nature’s better cavity fighters.

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For nearly 40-years, our team led by Dr. Jason Kboudi, DDS, has been San Antonio’s premier dental practice for creating transformational smiles. At Advanced Smile Care, we do it all. Whether it be a full-smile makeover, dental implants, dentures or sedation to get you through your treatment, as we like to say, “It shouldn’t hurt to smile.”