The reason sugar is so dangerous for our oral health is that harmful oral bacteria love eating it as much as we do, and then they excrete acid onto our teeth. Our tooth enamel might be the strongest substance in the human body, but even weak acids can erode it.
This is why dentists encourage us to avoid indulging in sour, sticky, and hard candy as much as possible. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a sweet treat every once in a while. Just be mindful of our oral health tips when eating certain types of candy so you can avoid extra visits to the dentist office—even though we love seeing you!
How Hard, Sticky, & Sour Candies Impact Dental Health
Hard candy is meant to be savored and last a longer period of time. This makes it a slow-release sugar delivery system for bacteria, creating an environment in which it can remain on your teeth and active for long periods. Biting and chewing hard candy also increases your risk of breaking or chipping teeth.
Sticky candy clings to your teeth, putting the sugar directly against our teeth and gums making it easy to get stuck between our teeth and hard to reach places.
Sour candy contains citric acid which give it that mouth puckering flavor. Citric acid is highly acidic, and can eventually erode our teeth enamel, irritate nerves, and cause other oral issues.
Safer Candy To Enjoy
While still containing plenty of sugar to satisfy our sweet tooth, chocolate is a relatively safe candy alternative to enjoy without worry about the additional issues associated with hard, sticky, and sour candy.
Chocolate contains compounds that can slow tooth decay, limit oral bacteria, and fight bad breath. Keep in mind, these polyphenols and flavonoids still don’t outweigh the negative effects of sugar on our teeth, which is why dentists often recommend choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate.
You can also look for candy sweetened by xylitol instead of sugar. Bacteria aren’t able to process xylitol the same as sugar, meaning they can’t produce acids that lead to cavities.
This means that xylitol actually helps prevent tooth decay by preventing harmful bacterias from growing, reducing acid, and helping to maintain a neutral pH in your mouth, making it the safest sweet alternative for your oral health. These candies aren’t super common yet, but hopefully that will change soon!
Taking Care of Your Teeth After Eating Candy
Regardless of the type of candy you choose to indulge in, it’s best practice to rinse your mouth with plenty of water afterwards to wash away sugar and plague. Be sure to follow up with brushing and flossing thoroughly to get rid of any lingering candy that may be stuck in between your teeth.
Lastly, avoid chewing and biting on hard candy to avoid chipping or breaking a tooth.
Look After Your Teeth With a Dental Visit
As most of us regularly indulge in sweet treats, it’s always a great idea to schedule a professional dental cleaning to stay on top of our dental health.
Contact us to schedule your next cleaning!
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
