Like it or not, this is "candy is dandy" week.
Canadian kids will be all smiles, despite the state of their teeth. Some of their parents will go to heroic measures to forbid the sweet stuff: Their kids will collect coins for charity, instead; or house parties will be planned so that kids can miss the Halloween haul that would await them on the streets.
A few years ago, the Center for Children's Health Media, sponsored by the U.S. based Nemours Foundation, polled 1,200 kids about their Halloween candy. Most kids said they get at least 50 pieces of candy on the big night, with over 44% saying they take in more than 100 pieces.
Halloween candy promises a lot of potential cavities and empty calories, says Dr. Euan Swan, Manager, Dental Programs at the Canadian Dental Association. Candy contributes to tooth decay because its sugar mixes with the bacteria in the dental plaque on teeth to create a mild acid which, in turn, attacks the hard outer layer of the tooth, called the enamel.
"The longer and more often sugar touches your teeth, the more damage it can do," says Swan. "If the dental plaque isn't removed every day by brushing and flossing, over time, the enamel gets soft and a cavity forms."
Worth knowing for parents who sift through their kids' candy is that some sweets are better than others.
"Candy that is particularly bad for teeth is soft and sticky," explains Swan. "It will get stuck on and between the teeth making it difficult to either be washed away by saliva or cleaned away by a toothbrush."
Think gummy worms, caramels, and that often stale standby, Halloween kiss candy.
Candy is also particularly bad for kids who still have their baby teeth, says Swan. "As the enamel on the primary teeth of a four- year-old is thinner than the enamel on the permanent teeth of a teen, the four-year-old is at greater risk of having tooth decay penetrate the enamel and causing a hole in the tooth surface."
Worth knowing for parents who sift through their kids' candy is that some sweets are better than others.
