The pillowcase comes home heavy, and someone starts negotiating over how much candy counts as too much. Before you referee that argument, it helps to know which pieces actually do the most damage.
In its Halloween candy survival guide, the ADA flags three kinds of candy as hardest on teeth.
Sticky and gummy sweets, hard candy and sour candy all do more damage than most other treats. Plain chocolate, in small amounts, gets the all-clear.
The common thread is time. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the bacteria that cause cavities feed on sugar and turn it into acid that dissolves enamel. The longer the candy stays on the teeth, the longer that acid attack goes on.
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Sticky and gummy candy tops the list
Taffy, caramels, gummy worms and fruit chews are the ADA's chief complaint. The association tells readers to avoid sweets that stay in the mouth for a long time.
These treats cling to the grooves between the teeth, where a toothbrush does not always reach. They keep feeding cavity-causing bacteria long after the wrapper is in the trash.
Hard candy keeps teeth bathed in sugar
A lollipop or a jawbreaker is designed to last. That is the problem. As it dissolves slowly, it keeps the whole mouth soaked in sugar for every minute it takes to finish.
Hard candy also carries a second risk. Biting down on it can crack or chip a tooth.
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Sour candy adds acid on top of sugar
Sour treats layer on a different kind of damage. The ADA warns that these candies carry enough acid to eat away at enamel, the hard outer layer that protects each tooth.
The acid softens enamel directly, before bacteria even have time to produce acid of their own.
Why chocolate is the easier choice
A regular chocolate bar is not harmless, but it is the gentlest option in a Halloween bowl. The ADA says small amounts of chocolate are a decent choice because it does not stick to teeth as readily as other candies, so saliva can rinse it away faster.
Dark and semisweet chocolate have less sugar than milk chocolate, so they come out slightly ahead.
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Practical tips for the week ahead
Eating candy with a meal, or right afterwards, is better than snacking on it through the day.
The ADA points out that your mouth produces extra saliva while you eat, which helps rinse away sugar and neutralize the acid.
The association also recommends chewing sugar-free gum carrying the ADA Seal for about 20 minutes after a sweet. That triggers the same cleansing flow of saliva.
The dental team at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus adds a simpler tip. A glass of water right after candy helps wash away sugar before bacteria can get to it.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.