After trick-or-treating is over and candy is sorted and traded, you may be considering the healthiest way to go about consuming your goodies. Some dentists may give you advice that will surprise you: they may support eating candy at one time, rather than rationing out over days or weeks. Dr. Anna Berik recently spoke to TIME Health about the dental health benefits of eating some candy at once, rather than spreading it out.
While eating a lot of candy at once is bad for your health, it could be better for your teeth to consume sugar at once. Traces of sugar and starch are left on your teeth after you eat candy, which begin to form plaque until you brush. The plaque has acid that will wear down your enamel and begin forming cavities, which grow over time, especially if the plaque is left on your teeth. This is why Dr. Berik says that eating several pieces of candy at once can be better for your dental health than spreading out your Halloween candy until Thanksgiving unless you are brushing your teeth after each daily piece of candy. Because the bacteria need time to form the cavity-forming acid, the amount of candy consumed in one feast eventually doesn’t matter.
When it comes to the best candies for your teeth, Dr. Berik recommends chocolate over hard candies and gummies, due to chocolate’s quick melting times. Other candies carry more potential to stick to your teeth, which chocolate dissolves in your mouth. As long as you are brushing your teeth diligently after consuming candy and practicing proper preventative measures, eating several pieces at once may not be so bad for your teeth.
After Halloween, it is important to maintain proper brushing, flossing and keeping your scheduled dentist visits for checkups. Newton Dental Associates is a family dentist practices with several specialties, including general checkups and preventative dentistry. To schedule an appointment with Newton Dental Associates, call our offices at 617-965-0060 or fill out our online contact form.
