Halloween’s Scariest Candy for Your Teeth

A Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene professor shares how to enjoy Halloween candy without it coming back to haunt you.

Halloween is all about tricks, treats, and plastic jack-o'-lanterns overflowing with candy. But before you dig into that stash of Gummy Bears, Sour Patch Kids, and Caramel Creams, consider this a friendly warning from dental experts: Some treats can give your teeth a fright.

“Sticky, sour, hard candies” top the list of dental troublemakers, said Dr. Lisa LaSpina, a dental hygienist and professor in the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS). Why? “They can trap sugar and expose your teeth to acid, giving them more time to do the damage that causes cavities,” Dr. LaSpina said.

And on Halloween, the stakes are high. Children eat, on average, more than 16 times the daily sugar recommendation on the holiday, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, which is about 3 cups of raw sugar. That’ll drive your hygienist batty.

Dr. LaSpina, who teaches oral pathology and community oral health and provides clinical instruction, shares how to keep your teeth from decaying like Frankenstein’s and enjoy Halloween without a dental horror story.

The scary stuff: Sticky, sour, and hard candies

Gummy bears and gummy worms may be cute, but they have a dark side, Dr. LaSpina said. Their chewy texture lets them cling to the grooves and crevices of your teeth, where sugar can linger long after the candy is gone. Caramels and taffy pose a similar problem, and they can pull out fillings and other dental restorations, too.

Sour candies bring another fright to the party. Their acidity can contribute to enamel erosion, while their sugar feeds the bacteria that cause tooth decay. And hard candies such as lollipops? “They keep your teeth bathed in sugar for an extended period as you suck on them,” Dr. LaSpina said.

Biting down on a hard candy can also crack or chip a tooth. That’s a trick nobody wants.

Dr. LaSpina’s personal pick for the Little Candy Shop of Horrors? Sweet Tarts and similar candies that you suck on for a long time. She also flags pure-sugar treats such as Pixy Stix and licorice, along with fruit roll-ups, “which can be surprisingly sticky despite their fruity name,” she said.

The sweeter side: Chocolate gets a little less spooky

Good news for chocolate lovers: Not all Halloween candy is created equal.

Plain chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, is a better choice for your teeth than sticky, chewy varieties. It softens as you eat it and can be washed away more easily by saliva. Caramel-filled chocolates and nutty treats are trickier because their bits and pieces can lodge in the pits and grooves of your teeth.

Dr. LaSpina’s favorite? Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The chocolate-and-peanut-butter combination is less sticky than gooey caramel-heavy confections, making it a treat she can get behind.

Sugar-free candy can also be a helpful alternative because it can reduce sugar exposure. Just remember, Dr. LaSpina points out, that hard sugar-free candies can still pose a risk of chipping a tooth.

Don’t let candy haunt your teeth

The biggest culprit may not be how much candy you eat, but how often you eat it.

Constantly nibbling on sweets repeatedly exposes your teeth to sugar and acid. Instead, Dr. LaSpina recommends enjoying candy in one sitting, “perhaps as a dessert after a meal rather than grazing on it throughout the day.”

If you do indulge, rinse your mouth with water afterward to help wash away lingering sugar and candy residue. If you’ve eaten something acidic, wait about 30 minutes before brushing to give saliva time to help neutralize acids. Then stick to your regular oral hygiene routine.

For families facing a mountain of Halloween loot, Dr. LaSpina suggests sorting candy by type, saving stickier treats for mealtimes, and sharing some of the stash if there’s simply too much to eat.

Most importantly, don’t skip brushing before bed. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush, and floss or use another interdental aid to clean between teeth, where a toothbrush can’t reach.

Dr. LaSpina has a playful way of explaining the stakes to little ghouls and goblins who skip brushing: “The sugar bugs are going to dance on your teeth” while they sleep.

Spooky? A little. Motivating? Hopefully.

The bottom line: You don’t have to ghost your favorite Halloween candy to protect your teeth. Enjoy your treats while watching scary movies, drink some water, and keep up a brushing and flossing routine. You don’t want sugar and acid lingering on your enamel. After all, your teeth are meant to last a lifetime.

“Take care of your teeth, and they will take care of you,” Dr. LaSpina said.