Not all treats are sweet on the teeth (or your wallet)
Chocolate candy may take a bigger bite out of parents’ wallets this Halloween, but it may also be kinder to their children’s teeth than some less expensive treats.
Will Brantley, president of the Georgia Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, said sticky and chewy candies tend to cling to teeth, leaving behind sugary residue that can contribute to cavities. Chocolate, on the other hand, is more easily washed away by saliva or water, he said.
That distinction may be worth considering as families weigh the cost of Halloween treats. Chocolate prices have risen about 15.5% this year, compared with roughly 1.8% for non-chocolate candies, driven by inflation, tariffs and other factors, according to PwC data reported by NBC News earlier this month.
Among the treats that can pose a bigger risk to teeth are gummies and dried fruits, including raisins, which can lodge in the grooves of back teeth, Brantley explained.
“If we are not good at cleaning our teeth off with our tongue, which we know children aren’t, or if we aren’t brushing our teeth after eating those foods, those artificial or natural sugars provide a food source for bacteria that feed off those sugars and cause cavities in our teeth,” he said.
For a more tooth-friendly Halloween treat, Brantley recommends plain chocolate, including milk chocolate such as Hershey’s Kisses.
But choosing the right candy is only part of the battle. He offered several other ways parents can protect their children’s teeth without taking all the fun out of the spooky holiday.
- Edit the candy stash: Quietly remove some of the stickiest, chewiest candies when children first arrive home from trick-or-treating. With so many treats to choose from, they may not notice what’s missing.
- Brush twice: Make sure children brush their teeth thoroughly after enjoying their candy and again before bedtime.
- Keep the treats out of the bedroom: Keeping Halloween candy out of children’s bedrooms will discourage late-night snacking after brushing. Saliva production decreases during sleep, making it harder for the mouth to wash away sugars and protect against cavities.
- Limit the candy snacking: Try to avoid all-day snacking on candy or eating too many pieces at once.
- Know when to toss the leftovers: After about three days, consider giving away or tossing the remaining Halloween candy to help curb ongoing snacking and keep sweets from lingering around the house. “Children don’t need to be eating candy for the next month going through their Halloween stash,” Brantley said.