Candy Eating Tips From The Dentist

Most will tell you not to even put it in your mouth, but these cool dentists are here to tell you what to eat because it's the day after Halloween and they know you're going to do it anyway.

Go Sugar Free

Dentists know that kids are going to eat candy. It's a fact of life. They're kids. Kids like candy. It's just a fact of life. So, if your kids want treats out of their bag, go with sugar free. Almost half of kids end up eating sugar free candy and while that sounds like kind of a bummer, think of this: If kids eat sugar free candy, it saves them from a lot of decay on their teeth. I know my parents let us have a certain number of pieces out of our treat bags every day, except if it was sugar free. Then it was OK to have more.

Reach for Powder Candy

Remember Pixi Styx from school? I remember being obsessed with them after Ally Sheedy put them in her soda in The Breakfast Club. Powdered candies like Pixi Styx and Lick-Em-Aid Fun Dip are nothing but pure sugar, but dentists say that they're OK because they dissolve quickly and don't stick to teeth.

Chocolate in Moderation

If you're like me, you don't mess around when it comes to chocolate and experts say that most people eat chocolate faster than other candies and that's actually a good thing. When we eat chocolate fast, it doesn't stay in our mouths so it decreases the amount of decay. There's another good point about chocolate: It has calcium in it and that strengthens tooth enamel. Dentists do say though that if the candy bar has nougat or caramel in it, to skip it.

Suckers Suck

I was always a fan of Blow Pops and Tootise Pops, which many just lick or suck and eat at a slower pace, so there's more contact with the candy and our teeth. The answer here is not to just bite it to get to the good stuff in the middle because it could chip a tooth. Dang,

Ooey Gooey Cavity Causers

Dentists say that chewy candy is the worst. That's because it sticks to your teeth and causes decay. It's also a bad idea because it can damage or completely rip out fillings! Yuck!

Fun Candy Facts

Now that the kids are off at school, your main duty is going through their haul and deciding what to hide for yourself when they aren't looking. According to The Atlantic Wire, the most coveted candy is Reese's, followed by Snickers, then M&Ms and finally Twix, so if those are your favorites, it's a good idea to comb through the stash and squirrel some away now. The candy bar that's saved for last, and not because it's their favorite is the Krackel bar. Jolly Ranchers, Nestle Crunch and Baby Ruth even get eaten before Krackel. Everything else pretty much gets tossed about New Year's.

Pediatric Denistry in Sartell is doing a candy buy back again this year. If your kids are willing, the fine folks over there are paying CASH per pound for their candy!