With Halloween festivities just around the corner, our Pembroke MA dentist knows that most kids are gleefully anticipating treat bags filled to the brim with every kind of Candy imaginable. While Luxe Smile Dentistry always recommends avoiding candy, soda, and other sugary foods for proper dental health and hygiene, let’s face it – we all know what happens to those “healthy treats” that your neighbor down the street hands out every year. Our friendly Pembroke dentist is here to help parents make choices about “good” and “bad” candy.

Chew on These Halloween Candy Tips from our Pembroke MA Dentist

Bar None, Chocolate Is the “Best” Candy

Our expert Pembroke MA dentist recommends that you reach for a Hershey’s bar, as chocolate dissolves quickly and leaves less sugary residue on teeth. In fact, the calcium in milk chocolate may even strengthen tooth enamel. According to our Pembroke dentist, some studies suggest that dark chocolate not only has less sugar than milk chocolate, but also contains bacteria and plague fighting compounds that may even help combat tooth decay.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Nutty!

For parents concerned about the damaging effects of excess sugar on their children’s teeth, choosing a candy chock full of nuts has the added benefit of breaking up the lingering sugary stickiness that can damage tooth enamel. Our Pembroke MA dentist reminds you that the longer that sugar clings to your tooth’s surface, the greater the risk becomes for developing those dreaded cavities. The nuts in a Mr. Goodbar or Nestle Crunch, for example, can actually help “brush” your teeth by breaking up the sugar and thus reducing its harmful effects.

Avoid Gummy Candy

Chocolate and nuts aside, sticky, chewy candy like gummy bears or tootsie rolls are the WORST type of candy for teeth, because even thorough brushing won’t easily remove the sugary residue in and around your teeth. Remember, when it comes to eating candy, a good rule of thumb is choosing a piece that will not stick around too long.

According to our Pembroke MA dentist, this means that even hard candy, such as a lollipop, can be particularly damaging to your teeth, because the sugar coating stays on the teeth over a longer period of time. This can allow the sugar to eat away at the enamel, possibly causing cavities that could require dental fillings.

Schedule an Appointment with Our Pembroke MA Dentist to Clean Away the Sugar Bugs

No matter what the season, our Pembroke dentist is always here to provide you with the best possible dental health and hygiene. Now THAT is a sweet deal!

The information provided in this article is not meant to be medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to dentistry, feel free to contact Luxe Smile Dentistry, with a convenient dental office near Pembroke MA, by clicking here or by calling 781.319.0070.