Curbing Your Halloween Candy Intake for Healthy Teeth

The American Heart Association recommends that men and women should have no more than 6-9 grams of sugar daily, with children having much less. However, on Halloween, children alone can eat more than 600 grams of sugar in just that one day. Not only can this cause health problems, but that amount of sugar can significantly increase the likelihood of cavities a few weeks down the road. Use these tips to enjoy your candy intake on Halloween without getting the negative side effects of decay!

American Oral Health and Stats

America is one of the more developed countries in the world. However, that doesn’t mean people in the United States don’t deal with chronic health problems. In fact, oral health problems such as tooth decay and gum disease are chronically common among children and adults alike. So much so that the National Institutes of Health and the CDC report tooth decay and gum disease as some of the most chronic diseases in the United States:

• More than 92% of Americans have tooth decay—known as “cavities”—by the time they reach adulthood.
• At least 141 million Americans spend money on Halloween candy each year.
• Per household, the average spent is between $44 and $47 for the holiday.
• 4% of candy eaten all year in the U.S. is eaten on Halloween day itself, according to USA Today.
• Fortune magazine found that the amount of Halloween candy a child, on average, eats on that single day equates to about 3 cups of sugar. At 4 calories per gram, that’s about 7,000 calories of pure sugar on Halloween.
• The recommended maximum sugar intake for children each day is 6 teaspoons or less, which is 100 calories of sugar or less. Infants and toddlers should have none.
• Male and female adults should have no more than 9 and 6 teaspoons per day, or 150 and 100 calories.

Sugar Damage to Your Smile

Added sugars are found in almost every food you can buy at the store, especially if it is pre-packaged or processed. If you check labels, even non-sweet food items may be full of sugar. This includes diet foods, diet shakes, breads, yogurts, grain or granola bars and more. Always check labels and limit added sugars as much as possible. Too much sugar not only leads to obesity, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, mood disorders and more, but devastating oral health diseases.

As you eat, your teeth and saliva break up food into smaller pieces for digestion. The sugar minerals in your foods and drinks will mix with certain bad mouth bacteria to make a sticky film. Instead of getting swallowed, the sticky film sticks to your teeth and is known as plaque. If you haven’t brushed your teeth in awhile, they will feel grimy and slimy. That’s plaque and it can give you a cruddy smile. That’s not the only concern though, as plaque is acidic when sugar and bacteria combine. That means you have an acidic film on your teeth, and acid tends to erode.

It does just that on your teeth—it erodes and breaks up the minerals that keep your teeth strong. The longer it rests on your teeth, the more they breakdown, become weak and decay. This is how cavities form. Your gums will also get really irritated by the acidic plaque and will get red, inflamed, will bleed and will try to recede. That’s why it’s so important to practice great oral hygiene for your teeth!

Getting Healthy Teeth Is Easy

Eating 7,000 calories of sugar on a single night can be incredibly damaging to a smile—especially one full of delicate baby teeth. Brushing and flossing several times a day should be done from the time a baby gets their first tooth:

• Brush the teeth at least twice a day, for 2 minutes at a time, using fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss 1-2 times a day, flossing up into the gum line and scraping your teeth as you go.
• Use fluoride products to straighten the teeth and mouthwash to kill decay-causing bacteria in your mouth.
• See the dentist at least twice a year for comprehensive exams and dental cleanings starting at 6 months after getting the first baby tooth.
• Curb your sugar intake to reduce the plaque your mouth makes.

Curbing Your Halloween Candy Intake

What’s the best way to avoid cavities this holiday season? Don’t eat the Halloween candy! Or any other candy for that matter. However, we realize that it’s really hard to resist the sweet treats, especially around holidays. So instead of a no-sugar recommendation (which can lead to high sugar binges later), try limiting how much Halloween candy you and your children consume. That goes for Halloween day itself and all the days before and after it. You can:

• Collect all the candy from Halloween and divide it up for each child for an amount they can have in a day (even if it’s just one piece).
• If children keep their candy, make sure they only eat it at a mealtime instead of snacking all day long. This exposes the teeth to sugars constantly. Always take candy at night after teeth are brushed so candy-eating doesn’t lead to decay caused during plaque damage at night.
• Make a trade deal where children trade in a specific number of candy for a small toy or for money towards something they want to buy for themselves.
• Have children help make their own candy intake rules with you.
• Make sure children eat a minimal amount of candy, then help them to brush and floss their teeth properly several times a day.

Both kids and adults alike love the sweet treats at Halloween. However, if you don’t love cavities and oral health problems, make sure you use these tips for curbing that Halloween candy intake. Make up your own rules that are specific to your family as well. For help combating tooth decay, call Stonebrook Family Dental at (303) 872-7907!