Kids, Candy & Dental Health

Holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter bring extra candy and homemade goodies along with them. Sadly, the bacteria in your child’s mouth are always ready to start producing the acid that contributes to cavities—but candy still can be enjoyed in moderation! Houston, TX dentist, Dr. Dassani at Dassani Dentistry has the skinny on some common types of holiday candy:

• • Chocolate is one of the most popular candies no matter what the occasion, and it’s one of the safest for your child’s teeth—it’s more conducive to good oral hygiene because it washes off teeth fairly easily. An added bonus: dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate.

• Sticky and gummy candies are one of the worst types of candy for your teeth—sorry, we know how yummy they taste! Since they are harder to remove from the teeth, the bad bacteria have more time to cause damage.

• Hard candy needs to be enjoyed with great care. Biting down on hard candy can break teeth, and their sugary contents mingle with the saliva. Since hard candy tends to be held in the mouth longer, bacteria have more opportunity to congregate and cause problems.

• Sour candy can be very acidic, and that acidity can weaken tooth enamel.

• Popcorn balls are brought out at many holiday parties, but keep floss handy—they’re yummy, but also sugary and sticky. 

Developing a habit of rinsing your mouth with water after sugary treats is a good practice for kids from 2 to 122. If you have any questions about pediatric oral hygiene and dental health, get in touch with Dassani Dentistry today.

The content of 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.

About Meghna Dassani, DMD

Dr. Meghna Dassani received her initial dental training from the University of Mumbai, India, where she graduated in 1996 as Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). After working as an associate for one year, she established her own practice in Mumbai, India. She successfully operated this practice for six years prior to moving to the US. When Dr. Meghna Dassani is not in the office she is at home being a mommy to her 2 beautiful girls and enjoying time relaxing with her husband. Since opening her own practice in 2011 she doesn’t have a lot of free time but when the time allows she enjoys traveling, reading, gardening, cooking, visiting with friends and family and of course SHOPPING with a Starbucks in her hand!