Press Release
October 17, 2007

THE USC SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY SHARES TIPS ON HOW KIDS CAN ENJOY CANDY WITHOUT IT TURNING INTO A HALLOWEEN HORROR

(Los Angeles CA) Halloween, famous for its goblins, ghouls and lets not forget the loads and loads of candy. The candy experts at the USC School of Dentistry say Halloween doesn’t have to be a dentist’s worst nightmare. There are precautions we can take that can make this holiday enjoyable for all, even our littlest gremlins. 

Every year, candy companies conjure up a new storm of chewy, sticky, nut-filled, caramel-coated candies designed to wreak havoc on our teeth. According to Dr. Gardner Beale, a faculty member at USC School of Dentistry’s department of pediatrics, “Caries is caused by three factors: bacteria, carbohydrates and sugars. If we can eliminate one of these factors then we can prevent the formation of caries.

Dr. Beale’s first suggestion, limit the child’s exposure to sugar. When children, or adults for that matter, have a high sugar exposure, the sugar is absorbed by the bacteria in the mouth and turned into acid, which then damages the tooth causing caries.

Did you know that not all candy is created alike when it comes to causing cavities?  Sticky candies stay in between teeth a longer period of time and are not so easily removed by saliva, which means that the longer those sweets stay in your mouth the more prone you are to bacteria converting the sugars into acid and getting tooth decay. 

Sticky sweets like fruit rolls, gummy bears, Laffy Taffy, Starbursts and hard candy like lollipops, jawbreakers, Sweet Tarts or anything that stays in your mouth for long periods of time should be avoided.

On the other hand, candy such as chocolate, sugar free gum or anything that contains xylitol a sugar substitute, is not as harmful as these other sweets, and actually aid in the prevention of tooth decay. Sugar-free gum or gum that contains Xylitol, like Trident, is good to chew in between meals because they produce more saliva which helps your mouth rinse off the acid.

Halloween Quick Tips from the Experts:

• Monitor your child’s candy consumption.
• Don’t allow the child to eat candy throughout the day.
• Avoid sticky foods such as gummy worms, fruit rolls, and taffy.
• Give candy after dinner and make them brush their teeth before bedtime.
• Eat sugarless candy instead.
• Chew sugarless candy after meals to reduce the bacteria level.
• Avoid eating anything that stays in your mouth for long periods of time such as lollipops, jolly ranchers, Jawbreakers, etc.
• If you’re giving out candy this year, consider fun alternatives to sugary treats—including stickers, temporary tattoos, vampire teeth or noisemakers.
• If parents follow these simple rules as a preventative measure, then children can avoid caries from forming. Everyone can enjoy this Halloween and let the costumes be the scary ones, not the smiles.

If parents follow these simple rules as a preventative measure, then children can avoid caries from forming. Everyone can enjoy this Halloween and let the costumes be the scary ones, not the smiles.

###