Don’t Let Your Sweet Tooth Ruin Your Smile

Hello, there and welcome back to the Balboa Victory Dental blog! With Halloween coming up, millions of people across the United States are going to be given the opportunity to enjoy some tasty candy that, for the most part, they don’t eat regularly. Candy, while delicious, can be seriously damaging to a person’s teeth if they enjoy a lot of it. In today’s post, to help parents, teens, and children alike, we are going to go over some of the candy out there that should be avoided. While we don’t expect our readers to avoid candy altogether, we hope that after reading this blog more people are aware of the harmful effects that certain candy can have. Keep reading below to learn more.

Avoid These Candies and Help Your Teeth

It’s an unfortunate truth that people, in general, love sugar. Sugar is in nearly everything that we eat and, as a result, people tend to crave sugary things even if they don’t consider themselves to have a sweet tooth. While it is fun to enjoy some candy every once in awhile, the effects of repeated exposure can be quite detrimental to a person’s teeth. Below, we have listed a couple of candies that you should limit your consumption of.

• Sticky/Chewy Candy: If you are the type of person who loves chowing down on taffy or gummy bears, be careful. These types of candies are some of the most popular on the market, but, they are also some of the worst for your teeth. When a person eats particularly sticky candy, the candy tends to stick in between the crevices of the teeth and stays there longer than other forms of food do. As the candy clings to the teeth, the bacteria in the mouth feast upon the sugary substance and produce acid. This acid, if not properly controlled, can lead to the weakening of the teeth’s enamel and, if persistent, can lead to tooth decay.

• Sour Candy: This type of candy, while quite popular, packs a one-two punch that can leave your teeth less than healthy. While the sugar content of sour candy works to feed the bacteria in the mouth, the sour coating, which is highly acidic, works in conjunction with the acid that is produced by mouth bacteria to strip away the enamel of your teeth. Sound fun? We didn’t think so. If you decide to chow down on some sour candy this Halloween, we suggest that you do your best to drink some water directly after. This will work to wash away the acid in your mouth, reducing the effects of this confectionary treat.

Join us again next time as we continue to cover some of the candy that is most detrimental to the health of your mouth. Additionally, if you are in need of an Encino area dentist, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today at Balboa Victory Dental. We are a full-service dentist office and we are certain that we can provide you with the dental services that you need.