Thomas is the youngest of four children in a hectic household filled with school, homework, and soccer practices. Starting when Thomas was 4-years old, his older sister offered to help out the family and read to him every night before he fell off to sleep. For years, this routine went surprisingly without a hitch; however, Thomas� dental visits became a family anomaly. While his siblings never developed any cavities, Thomas had developed 14 cavities by the age of 9.
With a little investigation, it was uncovered that Thomas� sister would dole out hard candy to him each night during his bedtime reading to keep him quiet. In essence, Thomas sweetly dozed off with a mouthful of sugar stuck to his teeth. Since there are four ingredients necessary to make a cavity: 1) bacteria, 2) a tooth, 3) carbohydrates (sugars), and 4) time, Thomas� situation was a �perfect storm� for creating cavities. The teeth in his bacteria-filled mouth were covered with globs of sugar all night long.
This trick-or-treat season, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is reminding us that kids should not only curtail the amount of candy they consume but should also avoid the more sticky and gooey sweets, such as gummies, caramels, and sour candies. These types of sweets can get stuck in the grooves and crevices of the teeth making it more difficult for the saliva in the mouth to wash them away. Sour candies add an additional harm as their high acid content also erodes the tooth enamel, making it easier for a cavity to form.
According to the AAPD, the more tooth- friendly Halloween treat is milk chocolate, which isn�t sticky or acidic. Dark chocolate is even a better bet as it contains antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which can actually stop the unhealthy bacteria from sticking to the teeth, prevent gum infections, and fight tooth decay. Also, according to research, sugarless gum that contains xylitol can actually promote the presence of healthy bacteria that protect the teeth and fight the buildup of plaque.
To reduce the amount of candy that is consumed, consider participating in the Halloween Candy BuyBack program. As part of the program, many dentists are offering to buy back the kiddies� excess candy stash. To find a participating dentist in your area, just enter your zip code here.
What are these dentists doing with the candy surplus? They are mailing it to Operation Gratitude, which ships the candy, along with toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss as well as entertainment and homemade items to our troops overseas. You can also bypass your dentist altogether and send your candy with other helpful items directly to the troops.
This year, my neighborhood ghosts and goblins are getting chocolate and sugarless gum, and the leftovers are going to the troops.
Be well,
Joan
Twitter: @JoanSalgeBlake
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