Forget ghosts and ghouls — Halloween can get really scary if you have to make an urgent trip to the dentist’s office.
Past research has reported an 80% jump in emergency dentist visits on Halloween versus other October days.
“This spike is often due to people indulging in candies that can damage teeth or existing dental work,” Dr. Priya Mistry, a dentist based in Vancouver, Washington, told The Post. “If there have been cavities slowly and silently brewing, candy can definitely be the proverbial ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ and cause an already soft/decayed tooth to fracture or break.”
Mistry shared with The Post her top five “red flag” candies that could dampen Halloween spirits — extremely hard candies, sticky caramels or toffees, sour candies, gummies and jawbreakers.
Extremely hard candies
Hard candies, like Jolly Ranchers, Lifesavers and butterscotches, can chip or crack teeth, especially if you try to bite down on them.
Mistry said you should see a dentist immediately if you chip or crack a tooth. In the meantime, you can alternate between ibuprofen and Tylenol if you’re in pain.
Sticky caramels or toffees
Sticky candies like caramel or taffy can pull out fillings and crowns — and even break orthodontic appliances like braces.
Better options include dark chocolate, which is rich in antioxidants, milk chocolate, chocolates with nuts or other crunchy elements that can help break up sticky residue on teeth, and finally, candy corn and marshmallows, which aren’t great for teeth but are better than the “red flag” candies.
If you do decide to go for the Laffy Taffy, Mistry suggests chewing evenly on both sides of your mouth so you don’t wear out your jaw. Drinking water between candies can also help relax overworked jaw muscles.
Sour candies
Sour candies like Warheads or Sour Patch Kids have a high acid content that can erode enamel, the hard, protective covering of your teeth.
Mistry said if tooth enamel wears down, the dentin layer of tissue underneath becomes more visible. Dentin degrades seven to nine times faster than enamel, Mistry added, so you should try to preserve your enamel as much as possible.
Gummies
For their part, gummy candies can cling to the grooves of teeth, giving the bacteria in your mouth more time to feed on the sugars and produce harmful acids that can lead to tooth decay and cavities.
Around one in four US adults have untreated dental decay, research shows.
And half of kids 6 to 9 years old have had at least one cavity in their baby or permanent teeth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mistry said drinking water will help rinse away sugar and bacteria.
Jawbreakers
Jawbreakers, also known as gobstoppers, are a major no-no, Mistry said. They can chip your teeth, and the prolonged sucking can lead to jaw fatigue and potentially exacerbate temporomandibular joint dysfunction or TMJ.
Jawbreakers can also be a choking hazard, especially for young children.
In 2014, a Nevada police officer performed a reverse Heimlich maneuver on a semiconscious 3-year-old to dislodge a jawbreaker from his throat.
Practicing moderation on Halloween
Mistry, a mom of two, says moderation and awareness are key to safely enjoying Halloween. She recommends:
- Implementing a “candy budget,” allowing kids to choose a certain number of pieces each day to eat instead of giving them unlimited access
- Limiting candy consumption to specific times of day rather than all-day grazing, cutting down on the amount of time teeth are exposed to sugar
- Encouraging eating candy with meals to take advantage of an increase in saliva production — saliva can help wash away food particles and neutralize acids
- Considering a candy “buy-back” program that lets kids trade excess candy for toys or privileges
- Staying vigilant with brushing and flossing routines
“It’s all about striking the right balance and making smart choices,” Mistry said.
Dr. Andrew Elliston, a board-certified pediatrician at Elliston Pediatrics in Manhattan, said Halloween is a great opportunity to teach kids about self-regulation and delayed gratification.
“If they overindulge, then they risk the consequences of tummy aches and also running out of candy,” Elliston told The Post. “It is helpful to engage with them on this and ask them about it.”
Instead of saying “I told you so!” or shaming them, Elliston suggests parents ask their kids why they feel bad and how they can improve for next time.
“Our long-term goal is for kids to have exposure to sweets (because the reality is that they will, many times), feel relatively neutral about these treats, and to have some experience thoughtfully regulating their own intake of these sweets,” Elliston said.
