Halloween can be a scary holiday for your smile, but it doesn’t have to be. If you keep your teeth and gums in mind while you trick or treat, you will be on the right track toward a smile-healthy Halloween in Luling, Texas!

To help you care for your teeth and gums, our Crossroads Dental team encourages you to choose tooth-healthy treats while you visit each house. To help you know which treats to choose, we have provided the following lists:

Best Candies

-Sugar-free candy and gum: Sugar-free treats don’t contain sugar, which is beneficial because sugar constantly feeds on the bacteria in the mouth, producing decay-causing acids. Sugar-free candy and gum often has xylitol, which is a product that can protect your teeth by reducing acids. Eating and chewing these treats can also create extra saliva and rinse away the harmful particles.

-Powdery candy: Yes, powdery candy contains high amounts of sugar, but the treat dissolves quickly and doesn’t stick to the teeth, which decreases your chances of having tooth decay.

-Chocolate: Chocolate dissolves quickly in the mouth and can be eaten easily, which is helpful because it decreases the amount of time the sugar stays in contact with the teeth. However, chocolate with fillings, like nuts and caramel, can be more harmful to your chompers.

Worst Candies

-Hard candy: Hard candy is dangerous for the teeth because it tends to be in the mouth for a long period of time. It’s in the mouth for a long time because you usually need to suck on it to break it down. Another reason why it’s harmful is because when you chomp down on the treat, it could chip or break a tooth.

-Chewy or sticky candy: Chewy and sticky candy can be damaging to the smile because they are high in sugar and they tend to spend a lot of time being stuck to the teeth. This quickly promotes tooth decay. Chewy and sticky treats are also more difficult to break down with saliva.

For more information and details, please feel free to call our office today at 830.261.3336. Your dentist, Dr. Christine Hervas, and our friendly dental team are more than happy to help you in any way we can, and we look forward to your phone call!