Cavities on a Stick

I really do like Halloween, and not just because it marks the beginning of what I like to call “candy/cavity season”—the time between October 31^st and January 1^st, when almost all Americans over-consume sweet treats.  I like it because it gives me the opportunity to remind people about the right way to eat holiday goodies, and ways to limit the possible destruction of tooth enamel.

First, a little peek into the history of my obsession against certain types of candy.  Imagine being the child of a dentist around Halloween.  My kids hated it when they were school aged.  I used to insist that they deliver a toothbrush to the nice person handing out candy in the neighborhoods that we canvassed, in exchange for their treat.  They knew their collection would be inspected by me, and then sorted by "the potential for said candy to cause cavities".  I wasn’t a complete Halloween Grinch; after we returned home from trick-or-treating, I allowed each of them to chose a small handful of their favorite treats, and eat them in 20 minutes or so, then go brush and floss and off to bed.  Then I got to work.  All lollipops were the first to go.  I call them “cavities on a stick”.  Next were the hard candies like Jolly Ranchers, Sweet Tarts and Lifesavers.  Lastly, all of the sticky candies like caramels and Starbursts were removed from the bags, and kept where I could monitor their consumption—offering as special treats throughout the next several months, with the requirement of post-indulging brushing.  Don’t worry—there was still quite a bit left.  All of the chocolate bars, M&Ms and sugar-free gum passed the test, and were allowed back in the bag, becoming a prized possession of the child who collected them.

Now my children are grown, and eat what they want, when they want, and I can only hope that some of what I taught them about consuming sweet treats remains.  Here’s what I tell my patients about diet and cavities:  sugar, naturally occurring or in processed foods, feeds the bacteria that produces the acid that causes tooth decay.  Limiting the oral exposure of sugar/carbohydrates or acidic foods or beverages (acid-producing bacteria love to live in an acidic environment) will limit your risk for tooth decay.  So, eat your candy/cookies and drink your mochas/lattes relatively quickly (within 10-15 minutes), then brush or rinse with water.  Follow these simple rules, and hopefully you will sail right thru “cavity season” unscathed.  Keep smiling!