BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) ‘Tis the season to indulge in candy and sweets. Kids will be coming home tonight with bags and buckets full of candy, and it’s unrealistic to say parents and kids won’t be eating those treats. Are some candies better for your teeth than others?
“In general, we say to stay away from that stuff that is really gummy, really sour, that will stick in those groves of the teeth for longer periods of time, and tend to indulge in the more chocolatey things that will melt away a little bit,” said Mikaila Davidson, a Dental Hygienist at Polished Dental. “Those sticky things are probably the worst for your teeth. Same thing goes for suckers or hard candies. It affects the PH of your saliva, it takes longer to neutralize that. So if you’re having a sucker in your mouth for a half hour, you’re just bathing those teeth in that acid environment, which is going to be more probable to lead to decay.”
Regardless of your candy of choice, it is okay to enjoy it on occasion, but you shouldn’t forget about your dental health. After eating candy, it is best to brush and floss and use mouthwash to make sure all the sugar is gone from your teeth. If you aren’t able to brush or floss, simply drinking water after having a snack also helps clean your teeth.
“One night of having candy isn’t going to predispose you to a lifelong problem with decay as long as you’re keeping up with those good oral hygiene habits.”
Learn more from Polished Dental online.
