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It’s that time of the year when your sweet tooth starts acting up, and for good reason. Everyone knows that Halloween is around the corner and candy is sure to be everywhere.

As dentists, we tell children to make sure that they brush their teeth twice a day, to floss, and lay off the sweets, but this time of year it’s tough for adults to follow their own advice.

But why is candy so bad for teeth, anyway? The main reason is corrosive acid, which is produced by bacteria fueled by sugar. These bacteria love sugar just as much as the rest of us, and candy creates a perfect environment for them. As the sugars settle into and in between teeth, the resulting acid slowly decays them to the point where small holes we call cavities are created. Unfortunately, if you have braces, the problems only start there.

Now let’s talk about the good stuff…

Candy

It tastes delicious! We all know it, so there’s no reason for us to completely avoid the sweet tastes of Halloween. But, as with most things, it needs to be done with moderation in mind.

Also like most things, some varieties of candy are worse than others. So here’s a breakdown for you:

Gummy Candies

Let’s take a look at gummy candies. They taste great, feel cool in your mouth, and stick to your gums so you can enjoy them long after they’re “gone.” Well, the reason they taste so good is because of the enormous amount of processed sugar that is packed in each bite of your favorite bear or worm. Next, that gummy texture which feels so fun and sticks to your gums is great, until the sugar that’s in it starts to fester underneath your gum line causing gum disease, coupled with tooth decay.

Gummy and sticky candies are also the worst for braces. These candies are hard to clean off of braces once they’re stuck in, and the longer they’re stuck, the better chance they have of harming your teeth.

Hard Candies

Up next on the list are hard candies, such as Jolly Ranchers, suckers, or lemon drops. Hard candy is usually nothing more than caramelized sugar. Sugar paired with your favorite artificial flavor sounds delicious and is enough to make your mouth water on its own, but the sugar mixed with the potential tooth breaking possibilities is enough to leave any dentist scared for your little ones’ teeth come November 1st.

Hard candies are also rough on braces too. Just think of the sound or the feeling of hard candy on metal…it’s not good for anyone!

Candy Apples

Lastly, there’s the old standby of candy apples. The first ingredient is the apple, and those are great sources of nutrition. Plus, due to the nature of their construction, they act almost like a toothbrush as your teeth chomp through, cleaning off any plaque or debris.

But, then there’s the caramel. Even though an apple can help clean up some of the sticky caramel, it can’t get all of it. Besides, eating whole apples and caramel aren’t the easiest or the best when you have braces.

Lastly, there’s the stick. We highly recommend that you don’t go munching on that… So maybe it’s best to avoid candy apples with braces.

Happy Halloween!

Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN and let’s enjoy some tasty, sweet treats, but remember to brush and floss to protect your teeth—they’re the only ones you have.

If you have any questions about braces or Invisalign in Creve Coeur, or would like to schedule an appointment, call Dr. Frost today at (314) 567-1888 or fill out our online form.


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Athletes tend to be the picture of physical human perfection, but that is not always the case, especially when analyzing their oral health. There are multiple contributing factors to this, but here are just a few.

For starters, athletes at a high level who don’t participate in the major sports are less likely to have access to dental insurance plans. Athletes who train and compete in the fringe sports spend their time training and are not provided dental insurance by their employers. Additionally, if they are not a top level performer, they are typically not provided with health insurance by their sport’s governing body.

Next on the list of reasons is the amount of sugary sports drinks athletes consume over the course of training. It makes sense that drinks high in sugar and acid would erode an athlete’s teeth faster than water, and without access to proper dental care, athletes run a higher risk of damaging their teeth through the consumption of these sports drinks.

Lastly, there is a study recently released by Scandinavian researchers that points to an altogether different hypothesis. The researchers believe that the pH level of athletes’ saliva is to blame for their poor dental health. In the course of their study, the researchers found that athlete’s saliva was more alkaline than that of an average person. Additionally, the researchers noticed that athletes produce less saliva while they are training. This is troubling because there is a protein in saliva that aids in the prevention of tooth erosion. Finally, the researchers also noted that athletes were at a higher risk of tooth erosion than the average person as a result of their strenuous workout patterns.

Athlete or not, consuming acidic or sugary drinks is an issue for dental health. Be sure to brush twice a day and take proper care of your teeth. If you have any questions about the best dental practices—especially if you have braces or Invisalign—call Dr. Frost today at (314) 567-1888 or fill out our online form here. He would be happy to assist you with caring for your Invisalign or braces in Creve Coeur.


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